TIRUPATTUR: A 50-year-old worker of a leather factory in Vaniyambadi was found dead on Saturday inside an open water tank belonging to a private leather factory. The worker – S Vinoth (50) from Mudumalai Bharathidasan Street in Udeyendiram – could have accidentally fallen into the cement tank two days ago, as there was no lid or any safety structure covering it, said police.
Locals discovered the body on Saturday after it floated to the top of the six-foot-deep tank located behind the factory. For two days, Vinoth’s family allegedly searched for him, but had not filed a missing persons complaint. An official from the factory said it has not been operational for the last two months.
Initially, suspecting foul play, Vinoth’s kin protested outside the factory but were later pacified after the management agreed to pay compensation. The official said the tank has been lying in disuse and it got filled with rainwater over the last few days. “The man was in an inebriated state when he fell into the tank,” the official said. When asked about their responsibility to cover the water tank, the official said, “There was a steel mesh net over it,” but did not explain further.