CHENNAI: A 32-year-old man engaged on contract by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) died on Wednesday evening after coming into contact with a live cable during maintenance work in Perungudi on Wednesday.

The police identified the deceased as S Sathish of Thamanur in Villupuram district. He was attached to the Tangedco unit in Sholinganallur for the last two years.

Sathish was attending to a cable fault on a pole on Perungudi Corporation Road, off Old Mahabalipuram Road, opposite the corporation sewage pumping station. During the work, he received a shock and remained suspended from the wires.

His colleagues disconnected the supply from a nearby transformer and brought him down, and rushed him to a private hospital, from where he was referred to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where he died despite treatment.

A case has been registered at the Thoraipakkam police station.

The police said they were examining whether safety protocols were followed and whether the line had been isolated before the repair work was taken up.