CHENNAI: In a freak accident inside Chennai Port early Saturday morning, the tractor unit (driver's cabin) of a container trailer plunged into the sea, leading to the death of the driver, who got trapped inside the cabin.

An industrial crane was deployed to fish out the vehicle in a search operation that lasted over five hours.

When the deceased, identified as S Muthumariappan (35) of Thoothukudi district, was taking the vehicle out of the premises after unloading a container, he accidentally entered an unauthorised area in the port.

As he lost control of the vehicle while driving close to the sea, the driver's cabin got detached, leading to the vehicle toppling into the sea near the north coastal berth.

The police, fire and rescue service personnel and the Navy's coastal rescue unit fished out the sunken tractor unit.

The driver's body was recovered after five hours and sent to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for autopsy. Investigations are under way.