The accident occurred on K.K. Road in Villupuram when four youths from the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar neighbourhood were preparing to hang a birthday banner and first attempted to remove an earlier Vinayaka Chaturthi banner that had been mounted on a high‑mast lamp.
According to the Villupuram West police, the earlier banner made contact with an overhead high‑voltage line during the removal process, delivering an electric shock that threw the group’s leader, Madhankumar, to the ground where he died instantly.
The three other youths—identified as Karan, Poovarasan and Vanchinathan—suffered injuries from the shock and were rescued by bystanders before being taken to Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
Police have opened an investigation into the incident, focusing on how the banner was positioned on the high‑mast lamp and whether safety protocols were breached.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether any negligence or regulatory violations contributed to the tragedy, but the case underscores the hazards of handling signage near live electrical infrastructure.