Polling officer, 2 voters die of heart attack in TN

A 54-year old polling officer died of a massive heart attack in a booth in Kangeyam Assembly constituency while two elderly voters in Madurai and Sivaganga collapsed and died near polling booths in Tamil Nadu today, police said.
Selvaraj, a teacher posted as polling officer in one of the booths in Kangeyampalayam in nearby Tirupur District, collapsed while on duty this morning.
His colleagues rushed him to a nearby hospital from where he was referred to the government hospital in Coimbatore, police said adding, however, he died on the way.
Doctors said he had suffered a massive heart attack.
A Madurai report said a 70-year old man died of suspected cardiac arrest as he collapsed near a polling booth in Madurai Central constituency before casting his vote.

In another incident, a woman, also aged 70, died after collapsing in a polling booth complex in Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, police said, adding she was suspected to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

In two other poll-related incidents, eight persons were injured when the roof and the sunshade of different polling booths caved in Sivaganga District.
Five persons were injured when the roof of the booth at Kottur near Karaikudi collapsed.
Three voters were injured in Thirumanavayal village when the sunshade of the polling booth broke and fell on them under the impact of rains in the area.
All the eight had been hospitalised, police said.

A 38-year old woman died when she struck by lightning while returning home after casting her vote in Ariyalur, they said.
Meanwhile, Election officials seized the car of AIADMK candidate in Kulachal constituency in Kanyakumari district as more than the permitted number of persons were found travelling in the vehicle, police said.