A five-year-old boy was killed and six others, including two children, were injured when a temple wall caved in at Aruppukottai on Wednesday.
The dead person was identified as S. Gurusamy. The injured are K. Nandakumar (12), B. Sivamani (5), R. Balaguru (45), and three contract labourers of telephone companies, R. Muniasamy (33), M. Alagumurthi (40) and M. Shanmugam (21).
Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police S. Prabhakaran said an earthmover employed by the Aruppukottai Municipality had dug out the road margin of Virudhunagar Road at Puliyampatti for constructing storm water drainage. A 12-foot compound wall of the temple, which was weakened by the digging, collapsed around 11.30 a.m. It fell on the workers and the onlookers.
The seriously injured Gurusamy was referred to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. He died on the way. The body was taken back to the Government Hospital at Aruppukottai.
