Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Two workers die inhaling poisonous gas

By K. Manikandan

CHENNAI OCT. 25. Two contract workers, who were employed to bale out stagnant water from a pit dug up to lay underground sewer lines, died when they reportedly inhaled a poisonous gas at M.K.N. Road at Alandur this evening. The Chengai (East) police identified the deceased as Balram (40) and Sujit Kumar (20). Both of them hailed from Orissa.

They were employed by IVRCL, the company executing the underground drainage work for the Alandur Municipality, according to the local body officials. The workers entered the pits to bale out stagnant water to resume construction work, when they inhaled the poisonous gas. A third worker, who inhaled the gas, Milan, was rushed to a private hospital.

A fire service team from the Guindy station arrived at the spot and rescued Milan and retrieved the bodies of Balram and Sujith Kumar.

On March 19 last year, two construction workers, also belonging to Orissa, died while another was injured when earth suddenly caved in during pipe-laying work at New Colony in Adambakkam. On August 11 this year, three persons died of asphyxiation when they stepped into a collection well at Metrowater pumping station at Valluvar Nagar in Tiruvanmiyur. They were employed by a sub-contractor.

The officials said that contractors did not employ even the minimum safety norms while engaging casual workers to clean clogged sewer lines and collection wells.

Cases under Section 304A IPC (accident caused due to negligence) are registered at the police stations against contractors in such accidents. Officials said that adequate care is not given to protect workers during such works.

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