PERAMBALUR: A 50-year-old man clearing a pit housing the fuel tank at a non-functional fuel station at Elambalur died after the sand caved in on Tuesday afternoon, the police said. Three other workers have been hospitalised with injuries.
Police said a total of nine people from Kalarampatti were hired to clear the sand from the 12-foot-deep pit at the fuel station on the Chennai-Tiruchy national highway which ceased operations about 10 years ago.
The workers were continuing to clear the pit for the fourth day on Tuesday when the sand suddenly caved in. In this, one of the workers, K Velusamy, was buried alive.
The three injured workers were admitted to the Perambalur government headquarters hospital.