Five people were killed and one person was serious injured when a rope gave way while they were digging a well in Alathur village near Chengam on Friday. The victims were identified as Velu, 38, of Alliandhal village, Thanikachalam, 50, Ravichandran, 49, Jayamurugan, 25, and Pichandi, 51, all from Thamaraipakkam. Police sources said the workers were engaged in removing mud and sludge from the dug-up portion of the well inside a school compound. While two men went inside the dug-up portion to clear the remaining mud to fix the explosive material, the other four were removing mud and other materials from the other portion of the well by using ‘rope ladder’. On hearing the news, relatives of those killed staged a demonstration on the Kancheepuram-Tiruvannamalai road seeking penal action against school authorities and suitable compensation.

Source: The Hindu April 19, 2019 18:51 UTC