Two men who were hired to finish construction work inside a septic tank died of asphyxiation, in Villupuram, on Monday, November 28. Iyanar (38) and Manikandan (35) got inside a new septic tank to finish construction work, when the duo fainted and died. Upon seeing them falling unconscious, Arivazhagan who was present with them, got inside and also fainted. While Arivazhagan was taken to Mundiyambakkam Government Hospital and found to be unconscious, the other two were declared dead.
Speaking to TNM, Kandamangalam police said that an investigation is underway and no FIR has been registered so far. According to reports, police have said that the men were called to plaster the walls of the septic tank in a newly constructed house. Manikandan, the mason, along with his helpers Iyannar and Arivazhagan took up the job. Manikandan was the one who designed the septic tank.
According to a report from The New Indian Express, residents of the village said that the sewer had not been in use. They added that the men might have died after inhaling toxic fumes from the material that was used for plastering the walls. However, the police have said that they do not know the exact cause behind the deaths of the workers and their bodies have been sent to the Mundiyambakkam Government Hospital for autopsy. Police also mentioned that they might file a case against Shekar (50), the owner of the house where the septic tank was constructed.
In a similar incident, three construction workers died due to asphyxiation on November 16 in Karur when they entered a newly constructed septic tank. According to The Hindu, one of the workers, Mohanraj (23) entered the septic tank to remove the supporting wooden planks that were used while constructing it. Since he did not return for long, other workers Siva (35) Siva alias Rajesh (45) also entered the tank. The three of them did not return for a long time, after which their colleagues informed the police. Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the spot and rescued them. The workers were unconscious and were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital where they were declared dead on arrival.