CHENNAI: Two workers were asphyxiated when they entered an underground septic tank of a house for cleaning at Varadharajapuram near Tambaram on Wednesday. Police identified the victims as V Rajesh (35), of Indira Gandhi Nagar in Manimangalam, and A Ezhumalai (35), of Mannivakkam in Chengalpattu district.
According to the police, Jayakumar, (34), of Varadarajapuram, had employed the two for cleaning the overflowing tank. One load of sewage was removed on Tuesday. When they resumed the work on Wednesday, the suction tube got blocked and Ezhumalai went into the tank to clear the blockage using an iron rod.
As soon as he entered the tank, he fainted. Rajesh, who went in to save Ezhumalai, also fell unconscious. Both died after inhaling poisonous gases, police said.
Neighbours alerted the Manimangalam police, who, with the assistance of Tambaram fire and rescue services personnel, retrieved the bodies from the tank and sent them to the Chromepet GH for postmortem.
Manimangalam police have registered a case against Jayakumar under Sections 304-A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Rehabilitation Act. This is the second such incident in the past one week. On Sunday, a worker died after entering a septic tank at a house in Injambakkam.