Chennai: A guest worker from Bihar died of electrocution while trying to rescue a co-worker who slipped from a ladder at a construction site in Tiruvallur on Monday evening.The deceased was identified as Shawkat, 28. His co-worker Kalam, 25, had sustained injuries in the accident.According to police, the workers were engaged in electrical work inside an under-construction two-storey restaurant. Shawkat was standing on an aluminium ladder, while Kalam was positioned on another ladder next to him. When Kalam lost his balance and slipped, an electrical wire came into contact with the ladder. Shawkat, who tried to grab Kalam’s hand to prevent him from falling, accidentally touched the live wire and suffered a severe electric shock. He was thrown off the ladder in the impact. Police said two other workers at the site escaped unhurt, possibly because they were wearing footwear that insulated them from the current.Co-workers rushed Shawkat, who had sustained critical injuries, to Tiruvallur govt medical college hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries. Kalam, who was injured in the fall, is undergoing treatment.Tiruvallur town police visited the spot and conducted an initial inquiry. The body was later sent for postmortem. Police have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including possible safety lapses at the construction site, such as lack of protective gear and adherence to electrical safety protocols.
