Three persons were killed after a crane collapsed at a procession as part of the Draupathi Amman festival at Kilveedi village in Nemili near Arakkonam in Ranipet on Sunday. The incident happened around 8.15 p.m.
The police said the victims were identified as K. Muthukumar, 39, S. Bhoopalan, 40, and B. Jothibabu, 17. They were on the crane that carried the idol of the deity through the streets of the village. They are residents of the village. Eight persons were on the crane at a height of 25 feet to receive garlands from devotees to adorn the deity carried in the crane. The festival is celebrated after Pongal.
During the procession, the crane collapsed near the temple. All eight persons fell from the crane and were severely injured. More than 1,500 devotees, mostly from the village and neighbouring hamlets, were present. Around 50 police personnel from Nemili were also deployed. The injured were rushed to the Government Taluk Hospital in Arakkonam and the Primary Health Centre at Ponnai. Doctors at the hospital said three persons were brought dead. The other injured persons were in a critical condition. Further investigation is on, police said.
