A 70-year-old man who had come to Kancheepuram to get darshan of Athi Varadar died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday. Later in the day, three people suffered an electric shock while waiting in the queue and two others sustained injuries in the ensuing commotion.
Police sources said Lakshmanan, 70, a resident of Pollachi, and his wife Lakshmi, 60, arrived in Kancheepuram by train early on Wednesday. “After Ms. Lakshmi told the police personnel on duty that her husband had poor eyesight, they guided him to the Vahana mandapam, from where physically challenged persons are taken inside for darshan . Around 7.30 a.m., before Mr. Lakshmanan could stand in the queue, he collapsed,” a police officer said.
He was rushed to the Kancheepuram government hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival.
Meanwhile, commotion prevailed in the town after a few persons suffered an electric shock while waiting in the VIP queue. A few others sustained injuries in the melee that ensued. Kumar, 52, of Virugambakkam, Selvamani, 70, of Coimbatore, and Sangeetha, 32, of Velachery fell unconscious and were rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Vasantha, 65, of Kancheepuram, and Padma Kumari, 50, of Hyderabad, were injured after other people fell on them during a rush. There were rumours that the cause of the electric shock was a cable that had come into contact with a metal barricade. This was dismissed by the police. An inquiry has been initiated.
Meanwhile, devotees pinned the blame on poor crowd management at the venue.
