CHENNAI: Two hotel workers, who apparently tried to clear a block in an underground sewer at Kolathur on Friday night, fell into it when they became unconscious on inhaling poisonous gases.
Police said the workers had opened the manhole in front of the Nellai Sakthi Parotta Stall at Kolathur Road as the drainage from hotel was getting stagnated for the last few days.
After the hotel was closed at midnight, I Raju, 37, and M Hassan Moideen, 40, - both working in the hotel for the past many years - went into the manhole to check if there was a block in the underground sewer about 15 feet deep.
“Raju opened the manhole in front of the shop apparently to check blocks and clear them. But a pungent gas made him unconscious and he fell into the manhole. On seeing this, Moideen went to check. As Raju was not responding, he entered the manhole and he also lost balance and fell inside,” said Jaya Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Locals using a rope lifted both Raju and Moideen out. “One hotel staff Suresh managed to tie the rope around them and lifted him out. Both were taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital,” said Krishnakumar, who is running a provisional hotel opposite the hotel.
He said the duo had apparently drank liquor before attempting to clear blocks in the sewer.
While Moideen’s is said to be out of danger, Raju was still in the intensive care unit until Saturday evening.
Raju is from Kalugumalai in Thoothukudi district and Hassan Moideen from Sankarankoil in Tirunelveli district.