Woman with disability dies, after old tree falls on autorickshaw in Chennai

The 38-year-old woman, with a locomotor disability, was crushed when a tree fell on the autorickshaw she was travelling in; the driver managed to escape unhurt, police said

A 38-year-old disabled woman was killed after an old tree fell on an autorickshaw in which she was travelling, on North Boag Road in T. Nagar on Saturday evening.

The victim has been identified as Surya Arasakumar of Nungambakkam. She was returning in the autorickshaw from the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Coporation (TIIC) in Nandanam, where she was working. When the autorickshaw passed close to a private chit fund’s office on North Boag Road, an old tree suddenly fell on it. The driver Sekar escaped unhurt. However, Surya, who had a locomotor disability, and was seated on the passenger seat, was crushed under the falling tree.

Passers-by informed the police. Local residents and police personnel, who attempted to remove the tree, failed. Later, they brought in a crane and lifted the tree off the victim. She was taken to the Government Royapettah Hospital, where the doctors declared her ‘brought dead’.