Container falls into 50ft pit in Chennai's Velachery, causes cave-in, two workers trapped
CHENNAI: Amid the incessant rains, two workers were trapped inside a portable container truck in a 50-ft deep pit, dug up for construction, on Five Furlong Road on Velachery Main Road on Monday. Three others, lying on top of the debris in the pit, were rescued.
Due to the heavy rains, the road caved at 8 am, and the container slipped inside the pit. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and traffic police personnel began conducting rescue operations, said a senior police officer “The pit, 200 feet wide and about 50 feet deep, was dug as a foundation for a new office of a private company,” the officer said, adding that it was located between the bus stop and a gas station.
For the construction, a temporary portable container was placed near the pit. The two workers — an engineer and a mason — were inside the container discussing construction plans when the road caved in, said police. “After the container fell inside the pit, the structure of the bus stop also collapsed and fell inside. Seconds later, a small godown-like structure in the gas station nearby also fell inside the pit,” said a senior police officer.
The water from the locality rushed into the pit pushing the bus stop and godown along with the land, said a NDRF officer. “The pit is filled with rainwater, hampering the rescue operations,” said the officer, adding that the three gas station staff on top of the pit debris were rescued with rope.
According to police personnel, a diver was sent inside to open the container and rescue the workers. “The current was too strong and the diver couldn’t find the door because of other debris on top of it,” police added. One trapped victim was identified as Naresh (20) from Velachery. The other person is yet to be identified.