CHENNAI: Two contract workers in a private firm in Manali got electrocuted after the iron rods they were carrying came into contact with a live wire in the company's premises on Saturday.

The deceased workers were identified as Sakthivel (21) of Tiruchy and Deepak Nayak (19) of Odisha. On Saturday morning, Sakthivel and Deepak were assigned to carry iron rods. The police said that both were working as contract labourers at the company.

As they were carrying the rods above their heads, a low-lying electric line brushed against the rod, and the two of them suffered electric shocks and were thrown to the ground on impact.

On witnessing the incident, their co-workers rushed to their aid, administered first aid and moved them to the Government Stanley Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

On information, the police recovered the bodies and sent them for a postmortem. The police then visited the spot where the electrocution took place, conducted preliminary inquiries and registered a case. The police said that an investigation is under way to ascertain safety measures followed at the workplace.