COIMBATORE: Two contract labourers who were engaged in repairing a motor inside a septic tank at the Coimbatore corporation’s sewage pumping station on Friday evening allegedly drowned in the sludge. Efforts to retrieve their bodies from the septic tank are under way.
The victims were identified as G Arjunkumar (38) of VOC Nagar and S Suresh Kumar (27) of Pappampatti Pirivu. Both were electricians working for the corporation on a contract basis.
The incident occurred at the CCMC’s sewage pumping station on First Street of Bharathi Park Road near Saibaba Colony.
Sources said they were brought to the site to fix a high-capacity motor that was malfunctioning. The motor was inside a 40-feet tank, and is used to pump out the sludge. To fix the issue, the contractor, Prabhakaran, had engaged the two electricians.
Around 4.30 pm on Friday, Arjunkumar hit a steel pipe while climbing up from the tank after fixing the motor and fell into the sludge. Sureshkumar, who was climbing before Arjun, attempted to save Arjun but allegedly fainted due to asphyxiation and fell.
Other workers found out and informed higher officials and the fire and rescue personnel.
When the rescue team failed to trace them, they started to pump out the sludge.
Ward 69 councillor S Saravanakumar said, “The pump ing station runs round-the-clock and we cannot arrest the flow. We are using five vehicles to remove the sludge, and the bodies will be retrieved after,” he said.
Sources said officials have camped at the spot to speed up the process. They will also hold an inquiry with the contractor who allegedly forced them to enter the tank without offering safety gear.
Efforts to contact CCMC commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran went in vain.