Electrical maintenance worker dies in lift accident at Chennai cinema hall

Chennai: An electrical maintenance staff member died after being crushed against the roof while cleaning the cinema projector at Screen 4 of Sathyam Cinemas in Express Avenue Mall around 2 a.m.

on Tuesday. Police detained two other operators for inquiries regarding possible negligence.The deceased was identified as Rajesh, 39, of Perambur. He climbed onto a lift to clean the projector fitted to one of the cinema halls. After removing a component from the projector, Rajesh attempted to descend in the lift.

However, instead of pressing the downward button, the upward button was mistakenly pressed. As a result, Rajesh was crushed against the 25-foot-high roof and screamed for help.

His colleagues, who were assisting him on the floor, immediately hit the reverse button, causing him to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.He was rushed to Government Stanley Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.The Anna Salai police registered a case of accidental death. Two staff members of the repair service agency were detained to ascertain whether the mishap occurred due to negligence. Further investigations are underway.