Girl dies in lift accident

An eight-year-old girl, Pooja Devi, died after her head hit the ceiling while she was playing in a goods hoist (lift) at the godown of a printing press in Chintadripet on Monday.

According to the police, Pooja Devi was the daughter of Ram Singh and Kalabathi, originally from Nepal. Mr. Ram Singh’s brother Bhagat Singh had come to Chennai more than 15 years ago and was working at the godown on Sami Naicken Street, Chintadripet.

Ram Singh followed him and was working as a security guard in the same place. Eight months ago, he quit his job and started working at a nearby office.

His wife and daughter had come to Chennai recently.

On Monday, Mr. Ram Singh and Pooja Devi had gone to Mr. Bhagat Singh’s work place. “The girl went to the first floor and got into the small goods hoist used for carrying printed invitations and other materials. She was sitting on the edge of the small box with open top that goes up and down, and playfully pressed the button. It went to the second floor at great speed and her head banged the ceiling. Her head was crushed in the impact and she died on the spot,” said a police officer. The police arrested the printing press owner Sudarshan on charges of negligence. He was later released on bail.

An official from the Tamil Nadu Electrical Inspectorate said: “We have to check if the facility had taken the licence for the hoist.”