Tamil Nadu: 4 killed as crane crashes during temple festival; video goes viral
Four people died and at least six were injured when a crane suddenly collapsed during a temple festival in Arakkonam in Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu, late on Sunday night (January 22), police said.
The incident was captured on CCTV and the video has gone viral on social media.
The crane was used by the devotees to perambulate around the temple and a few devotees were accepting flower garlands from those who had gathered to fulfil a vow when the incident occurred, police said on Monday.
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“The crane collapsed all of a sudden and three people died. Seven persons who were injured were rushed to the government hospital for treatment. And of them, one man succumbed on Monday morning,” a senior police official said.
கோயில் திருவிழாவில் கிரேன் கவிழ்ந்து விபத்துக்குள்ளான பதறவைக்கும் காட்சி#Arakkonam | #Festival | #TempleFestival | #Accident pic.twitter.com/1eAuR7nl59
— PuthiyathalaimuraiTV (@PTTVOnlineNews) January 22, 2023
The dead have been identified as S Bhoopalan (40), B Jothibabu (17), K Muthukumar (39) and Chinnasamy (60). The Mayilerum thiruvizha event at the Droupadiamman and Mandiamman temples at Kezhaveethi, Nemelli, in Arakkonam, is an annual ritual held after the harvest festival (Pongal).
In the video, people were seen screaming and running helter-skelter, as the crane hit the ground. Some of the onlookers who recovered from the shock rushed to the help of the injured and shifted them to the hospital with the help of the police.
Nemelli police have detained the crane operator in connection with the accident.
Tamil Nadu | 4 people died & 9 others were injured after a crane collapsed during a temple festival event in Keelveethi in Arakkonam. There was no permission to use the crane. The crane operator is taken into custody. Investigation underway: Ranipet Collector Bhaskara Pandiyan pic.twitter.com/JefZ6CoBGB
— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2023