Head Constable killed in wall collapse in Madurai

Another suffers fractures; they were on night duty

Head Constable C. Saravanan, 44, was killed and another head constable, K. Kannan, 48, suffered fractures when a portion of a wall collapsed and fell on them at Nelpettai here at midnight Tuesday.

The policemen, attached to the Vilakkuthoon station, were on night duty. They had gone to East Veli Street and asked a small gathering having tea to disperse. As they stood in front of a pesticide shop, a huge portion of the wall of the balcony on the first floor of a dilapidated building crashed.

While Saravanan fell down and debris crushed him, Kannan, who was standing nearby, escaped with injuries. Both were rushed to the Government Rajaji Hospital, where Saravanan was declared brought dead. After first aid, Kannan, who had suffered fractures in the hand and the leg, was admitted to a private hospital. Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha and other senior officials rushed to the spot. Madurai Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar and Corporation Commissioner K.P. Karthikeyan inspected the site on Wednesday morning.