Dangling livewire kills two bike riders in Gummidipoondi

CHENNAI: Two persons riding a two-wheeler were electrocuted on Friday morning after they came in contact with a dangling livewire near Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district.

The deceased were identified as Ramesh (42) and Ramanaiah (38), both casual labourers and residents of Chinna Puliyur village near Gummidipoondi.

Ramesh used to cut tree branches and sell them to eateries and other places as firewood. On Friday, Ramesh and Ramanaiah were on their way to a village for work when the incident happened.

Police said the duo was riding along a mud road when their two-wheeler hit the livewire hanging from a slanting pole. Ramesh, who was riding the vehicle, did not notice the wire and ran his bike straight into it, according to police.

Both of them were thrown to the ground and were instantly electrocuted, said officials. Passersby who noticed the two lying unconscious alerted the authorities, who asked the officials concerned to cut the power supply and the moved both of them to a hospital. There, the doctors officially confirmed that the two had already died.

The Kavarapet police have registered a case and are investigating. Preliminary investigations revealed that the electric pole became slanted after the heavy rains on Thursday evening and the live wire had been cut. As the road is not used often by motorists, it was not addressed immediately, police said.