CHENNAI: A 45-year-old cleanliness worker employed with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) died of electrocution while on duty in Kannagi Nagar early Saturday morning, sparking outrage and calls for accountability.
The victim, identified as R. Varalakshmi, a resident of Kannagi Nagar, had been deployed to clean 11th Street in the locality around 5 a.m.
Police said stagnant rainwater had collected on the stretch following heavy showers on Friday night.
Unaware of a live electric wire submerged in the water, Varalakshmi stepped into the puddle and was instantly electrocuted.
Hearing her screams, co-workers and locals rushed to her aid.
She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared her "brought dead".
Residents alleged that the tragedy could have been averted had authorities acted promptly on repeated complaints about dangling power lines and waterlogging in the area.
"The electrocution is not an accident but a result of negligence, " one resident said, pointing to the frequent dangers posed by exposed electrical lines in the rain-prone neighbourhood.
Social activist Jayaram Venkatesan strongly condemned the incident.