Woman en route to work electrocuted after stepping on cable hidden by puddle on Chennai street

CHENNAI: A 35-year-old woman on her way to work was electrocuted by an exposed cable when she walked through a puddle of water in Pulianthope on Monday morning.

Police said she stepped on either a damaged underground power cable or a supply line to a nearby street lamp on Narayanaswamy Street. The cable was not visible since it was covered by stagnant water. The victim S Alima was declared dead on arrival at a government hospital.

Local residents said both the city corporation and Tangedco do not attend phone calls complaining about such exposed cables.

When contacted, Tangedco officials said they had no idea about the incident, adding that the cable responsible for it was maintained by the city corporation.

Corporation officials acknowledged that workers had dug up the wires since the street lamps were not functioning properly for the last 15 days due to faulty wiring.

"To check the issue, corporation workmen dug the wires on Monday morning. Due to water stagnation, the passerby got electrocuted. We are looking into the issue," said a corporation official in Zone 6 of the corporation.

Eyewitnesses said while many crossed the same spot since morning, only Alima was electrocuted. Quoting doctors, police said this could be because she had a 'trench foot' and she was also not wearing slippers.

The deceased was a resident of Periyar Nagar in Pulianthope who worked as a domestic help, said police.

“She was on her way to a house at Narayanaswamy Street when the incident happened. At around 9.20am, she was walking on the road when she stepped in a puddle of stagnant water and was thrown away,” said the police officer.

Passersby called an ambulance and informed the Pulianthope police. She was rushed to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The Pulianthope police registered a case and sent her body for autopsy.

“Alima’s trench foot had severely exposed her flesh. She was also not wearing slippers. We suspect that is why only she suffered the electric shock, not others,” said the investigating officer.

Aseefa, a woman who runs a small grocery store near the accident spot, said Tangedco and corporation officials do not bury the wires properly.

“Just a few hours before this incident, an electric junction box hundred metres away burst and caught fire,” she said. Pointing to another junction box where hundreds of wires were popping out, she said, “The men who visit the spot to lay the wires get money from every shop and house claiming it was to get materials but never do the work properly.”

Zonal corporation officials also said that storm water drain work is currently being carried out on Narayanaswamy Street. Once the work is done, there will not be water stagnation on the street and adjoining ones.