Woman electrocuted after stepping on livewire submerged in rainwater

CHENNAI: A 50-year-old woman and another 45-year-old welder were electrocuted in two different accidents. In the first case, the woman identified as Umarani stepped on a live wire submerged in a water puddle near her residence in Vyasarpadi on Thursday night.

The deceased identified as S Umarani, a resident of Sanjay Nagar, 2nd street in Vyasarpadi. She lived with her husband and three children. Police said that she was walking back home after visiting a shop nearby when she got electrocuted.

Heavy rains had lashed the city on Thursday leaving most of the interior roads flooded. Umarani was thrown away as she came in contact with the live wire and some of the onlookers who tried to help the woman too suffered electric shocks.

Power supply was cut off in the neighbourhood after which the woman was moved to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead.

Vyasarpadi police registered a case and are investigating. As news of the woman’s death spread, there was protest in the neighbourhood against the callous attitude of the electricity board staff which had led to the fatal incident.

In the second incident, Ilaiyaraja, a 45-year-old welder was electrocuted while working on a grinding machine in his welding shop in Kolathur.