Namakkal: Tree falls, kills elderly man on highways
According to local residents, the highways department workers were engaged in cutting down huge, shade-giving trees for road expansion.
Namakkal: A tree being cut for road expansion fell on a retired post master killing him on the spot on the highway in Purusapalayam near Tiruchengode. The freak accident triggered a protest as the local villagers demanded action against highways department officials for their callousness in cutting down trees without ensuring the safety of passersby.
According to local residents, the highways department workers were engaged in cutting down huge, shade-giving trees for road expansion. Just as they were cutting down the trees, 60-year-old retired postmaster, Ponnusamy, was riding back home to Nilayangattupudur on his two wheeler after meeting his friend.
A huge branch of the tree fell on him throwing him off the motorcyle. He suffered serious injuries and died on the spot. Immediately, the local villagers gathered there and refused to allow the police to remove the body. The villagers demanded action against the highways department workers and officials for cutting down trees without even putting up a caution sign on the road.
Revenue divisional officer M.Kannan rushed to the spot and pacified the villagers. Later, the police took the body to the Namakkal government hospital for post mortem. The police have registered a case and launched a probe.