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46-year-old Chennai man dies after falling into culvert

A 46-year-old man died after he fell into a water-filled culvert near Ambattur on the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road on Saturday. 

According to reports, Sheikh Ali was sitting on the parapet wall above the culvert on Saturday night, when he fell into the culvert filled with water and slush. As soon as he fell, a man who ran a tea shop nearby alerted the fire and rescue services personnel, who rushed to the spot. The fire and rescue services department pressed two vehicles to pump out the water and rescue Sheikh Ali, however, their efforts failed. Though they managed to rescue Sheikh Ali from around eight feet of water and sent him to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, he was declared dead on arrival by the doctors there. 

While some members of the public protested that the delay by the fire and rescue services personnel caused Sheikh Ali’s death, officials from the department told the Times of India that the members of the public had surrounded the rescue spot and were constantly disturbing the rescue, which caused the delay. The officer also said that the machine was brought to the spot to pump out water from the culvert to facilitate the entry of rescue personnel inside to trace Sheikh Ali. 

The residents of the area also slammed the government for not installing sign boards on the sides of the culvert to alert the users of the road. The police have registered a case of accidental death and are probing the incident. Meanwhile Sheikh Ali’s body has been handed over to his family after autopsy. 

Heavy rains have been lashing Chennai and its surrounding areas in the last two days. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rains across the state for the next two days. District Collectors of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai have declared holidays for schools and colleges in the districts on Monday due to heavy rains. 

Source: The News Minute