CHENNAI: In a tragic accident, a 64-year-old man and his 35-year-old son allegedly died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning an open well in Elephant Gate near Sowcarpet on Wednesday.
The victims, who were found unconscious inside the well, were brought out by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel and rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where they were declared brought dead by doctors. The bodies were later sent for autopsy.
According to Elephant Gate police, the deceased were identified as Ravi and his son R Ayyanar. The natives of Tiruvannamalai were residing at Kodungaiyur.
They worked as plumbers and cleaned wells for a living. On Wednesday, they were hired by a plumber, Cittibabu (41), known to the house owner Prashanth, to desilt a 45-foot-deep well inside the house. Prashanth runs a business in Chennai, police said.
Inquiries revealed that Ravi first got into the well using a rope and started to work, when he inhaled toxic gas and collapsed.
Police register death due to negligence case, probe on
Since the father did not come out for a long time and did not respond to Ayyanar’s call, the latter too went into the well. However, Ayyanar also inhaled the gas and collapsed, police said.
Alarmed after both turned unresponsive, the house owner and others present there alerted the police and the fire and rescue department. A team of five fire services personnel reached the spot and started a rescue operation, which went on for more than 30 minutes.
Equipped with safety gear, including masks and gloves, the rescue personnel entered the well with the help of ropes and brought both men out. Ravi’s second son Murugan is currently out of town.
Ayyanar is survived by his wife and two daughters. A police officer told TNIE, “A case under section 106(1)[death due to negligence] has been registered and a probe is under way. Further course of action is yet to be decided.”
