Chennai: Five people, including two of a family, died in three separate rain-related incidents in and around Chennai as the Cyclone Mandous crossed the coast near Mamallapuram, about 55km from here, early on Saturday.

While four people died of electrocution, an IT employee died in a freak incident after a glass panes from a window, which broke due to gusty winds, pierced his stomach, police said.

While two deaths were reported from the southern suburb of Madipakkam, two deaths were reported from Sriperumbudur, about 40 km from Chennai. The fifth death was reported in an IT firm on the city outskirts.

Police said a 42-year-old woman and her nephew died of electrocution when they stepped on a high tension wire which got snapped due to heavy winds.

Since they were staying in a hut, they chose to sleep at a nearby shed at Ram Nagar area in Madipakkam in view of heavy rains when they inadvertently stepped on the live wire
and died.

Power supply for immediately disconnected in the area after which police shifted the bodies to the Chromepet Government Hospital for post mortem, A report from Sriperumbudur said two natives of Bihar, who were working in a private industrial unit, were returning to their place of stay last night after their duty hours when they came into contact with a snapped live wire and died. They were identified as Niranjankumar (22) and Sugankumar (24).

In the other incident that took place at the IT firm, the deceased was identified as Vijayakumar, who was on night duty. At around 2230 hrs, a long glass window panel swayed due to heavy winds.

Vijayakumar rose from his seat and tried to close the window when the glass window panes broke due to strong winds and pierced his stomach. He bled to death on the spot as none were
available to attend him in the late night hours.

(With UNI inputs)