CHENNAI: A worker was crushed to death when a part of an unused service elevator fell atop him at a star hotel along Anna Salai on Wednesday.

The deceased, Shyam Sundar (42), a resident of Perambur, was removing metal parts of the elevator shaft for scrap along with other workers when one of the parts fell on him due to a suspected cable snap, police said. The workers were removing the metal parts using gas-cutting machines.

Upon information, a police team rushed to the scene and secured the man and moved him to a government hospital, where he was declared as brought dead.

Probe revealed that the hotel management had hired a contractor to scrap the service lift which was not in use for a long time.

Teynampet police registered a case against the contractor and the supervisor, who had engaged the workers to remove the unused service elevator, for failing to ensure the safety of the workers.