Ranipet (Tamil Nadu): At least four people died and nine others were injured after a crane collapsed on them during a temple festival at Keelveethi in Tamil Nadu's Arakkonam. As there was no permission to use the crane, the police have taken its operator into custody. An investigation is underway, said Ranipet district collector Bhaskara Pandiyan.
The mishap took place during the 'Mayileru' festival held on the 8th day after Pongal at the ancient temples of Draupadi Amman and Mondi Amman in Keelveethi village. The annual festival is celebrated with great pomp by local devotees. The crane collapsed when the devotees were performing special rituals to fulfil their wish by spear-piercing on their backs and also by hanging in crane to offer garlands to the goddess.
At around 8.30 pm, as the celebrations were in full swing in the presence of a huge crowd, suddenly the crane came down crashing and crushing the people standing on the ground. Three people namely Bhoobalan (40), Jyothibabu (16), and Muthukumar (39) died on Sunday itself. Another devotee Chinnaswamy (85) died while undergoing treatment at Thiruvallur Hospital.
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The seriously injured persons were identified as Surya (22), Gajendran (25), Hemant Kumar (16), Arunkumar (25), Kathiravan (23), and Arunachalam (45). They are receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of the district government hospitals and private hospitals in Chennai. The Nemili police and revenue officials are investigating the tragic accident. And a video related to this accident has been viral.
