THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a long 48-hour search and rescue operations, the body of 51-year-old Tamil Nadu native Maharajan, who was buried alive inside a well after the middle portion of the well caved in while cleaning it at Mukkola near Vizhinjam on Monday, has been recovered. Maharajan was trapped inside the well of a house(90-foot depth) at Mukkola owned by G Sukumaran, after he, along with four other labourers, was cleaning it at 9 am on Saturday.
Maharajan, an experienced well sanitation worker, was the one who worked deep inside. Suddenly, a part of the soil inside the well caved in, and he was trapped under the soil. Though four units of the fire and rescue team arrived and started a rescue operation, it was difficult as the diameter of the well was only 1.5 metres. Initial efforts to take the rescue officers to the well also went in vain. Later, the rise in the water level in the well also posed challenges for rescue operations.
However, the officers came with the latest equipment, including oxygen masks and lifting equipment, and conducted the rescue operations around the clock. But on Monday morning, the body of Maharajan was fished out and shifted to the morgue of the medical college hospital. The body will be handed over to the family after the inquest proceedings.
A total of four units of the fire and rescue team from Vizhinjam, Chenkalchoola, and Neyyattinkara fire stations were on the spot. Maharajan started the well-cleaning work after the pandemic. Earlier, he had a tea shop. He was residing with his family at Venganoor. He is a native of Parvathipuram, Nagercoil.