5 die as rope cradle crashes into well

Four of the victims were from Thamaraipakkam near Kancheepuram and were identified as Pichandi (65), Ravi (45), Thanikachalam (45), Jayashankar (25), while the fifth one was identified as Velu (30) from Alliandhal, near Thamaraipakkam. The injured person was identified as Manickam (49) of Periakilambadi, who was rushed to the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital in a serious condition.

As summer is intensifying across the state, water table has gone down in many wells in Tiruvannamalai. So, farm and land owners have been deepening their wells searching for fresh springs. In one such activity, Parvatham hired six workers to deepen a 100-foot well on his land in Athur village. While the labourers were getting down into the well in a makeshift cradle that was being suspended by a crane, the rope suddenly snapped and all the workers fell into the well. While five of them died on the spot, one person was badly injured. On information, fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out the bodies along with rescuing the injured worker.

Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased blocked Kanchi–Tiruvannamalai road demanding the arrest of the owner of the well Parvatham. Tiruvannamalai Superintendent of Police MR Sibi Chakravarthy, who rushed to the spot held discussions and pacified the protesting relatives following which they dispersed. A case has been registered and further investigations are under way.