CHENNAI: A 42-year-old man died after a portion of the compound wall of the Perambur Railway Station collapsed on him on Saturday night.

The deceased man, identified as Balamurugan, a resident of Kodungaiyur, was employed as an office assistant at a private finance firm, police said. Preliminary investigations revealed that he was a relative of Perambur MLA, R D Shekar.

According to the police, Balamurugan who was walking along Perambur High Road went near the compound wall of the railway station to attend nature's call when a large portion of the wall - about 10 feet long - suddenly collapsed and fell on him.

Passersby rushed to the man's aid and pulled him out of the debris. He was taken to the Government Stanley Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later in the day. Sembium Police then sent Balamurugan's body for a post-mortem exam.

The cops suspect that the soil below the compound wall may have loosened up over time and the recent rains would have made the structure weaker.