Boy electrocuted while feeding crows

CHENNAI: A 13-year-old boy who went to feed Pongal to crows on a terrace was electrocuted when he came in contact with high voltage live overhead cable at Alapakkam near Maduravoyal on Thursday.
R Vetrivel, 13 of Bharathidasan Nagar, Alapakkam and his family members offered prayers at his house on the second floor. His father Rajavel asked him to feed the crows.Vetrivel often insisted that he would feed the crows. Offering food to crow is considered part of the Pongal ritual. They believe that it is particularly auspicious if a crow accepts the offering, as the bird is believed to be a messenger of Yama or the spirit of ancestors.
The boy kept the Pongal on a parapet wall and tried calling the crow that was on a tree. As he lifted his hand, he accidentally touched the live overhead cable. He suffered electric shock and was thrown away. Hearing his cries his family members rushed to the spot and took him to a nearby private hospital.
He suffered severe burns and was taken to Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) where he succumbed to the injuries. Police said the boy’s parents never allowed their children to play upstairs as they were scared of the cable.