Worker caught in the debris killed after excavator cuts off his head in Chennai

Chennai police arrest excavator driver after worker dies in rescue attempt, investigation ongoing.

Selaiyur Police arrested S. Vijay (27), driver of an excavator machine, after a 27-year-old worker caught under the mud was killed while attempting to rescue him at East Tambaram on Maarch 16 night. 

A senior official of the Tambaram Police Commissionerate said an underground drainage project work was being executed by a private contractor on Kamaraj Street near East Tambaram on Saturday evening.

At the work site, two persons named K. Muruganandam of Cuddalore and V. Shanmugasundaram of Tenkasi district, were involved in the construction work assisted by an excavator machine operated by S. Vijay of Tiruvallur.

As the workers were involved in the pipeline execution work, suddenly a portion of the dug-up earth caved-in. While Mr. Shanmugasundaram escaped by coming out, Muruganandam was caught in the mud.

On seeing it, driver Vijay tried to remove the debris from the caved-in portion using the excavator to rescue Muruganandam. While removing the debris, the excavator cut the head of Muruganandam, police said.

Immediately the supervisor at the site Mani Bharathi informed the Selaiyur police who, along with the fire and rescue services personnel, removed the body and sent it to the Chromepet Government Hospital for post-mortem. The police arrested Mr. Vijay, filed a case and are investigating.