CHENNAI: Two men employed by a private school in Minjur to clean a septic tank allegedly inhaled poisonous gases and died due to asphyxiation on Monday afternoon. According to the police, the duo was not wearing protective gear while they were engaged in cleaning the septic tank.
The school correspondent has been arrested and a probe has been initiated. The police identified the deceased as Govindan (45) and Subburayalu (50). Both of them were sanitation workers with the Minjur Town Panchayat. While Govindan was a permanent employee, Subburayalu was employed temporarily by the town panchayat. Both of them were hired by the school’s owner-cum-correspondent Simon C Victor (62) to clean the septic tank.
A senior police officer in the Avadi Commissionerate said, “Govindan and Subburayalu reached the school at around 1:30 pm. When they entered the septic tank, they were hit by poisonous gases and they were rendered unconscious.”
On information, Minjur police rushed to the spot and pulled out the men. They were rushed to a government hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. The bodies were then sent for a postmortem. Preliminary investigation revealed that both men had gone into the tank without any protective gear. The police said they are conducting inquiries with the school authorities.
Correspondent Simon was booked under sections 304(a) of the IPC along with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
He was later arrested and remanded after being produced in court, add the police.