KOZHIKODE: An attempt to clean an underground drainage here led to the death of two Andhra labourers and a local autorickshaw driver who came to help them on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as labourers Bhaskar Rao, 44, West Godavari, and Narasimhan, 44, Beemavaram, East Godavari, Andhra, and auto driver M. Noushad, 32, Methakudi house, Maalikadavu, Kozhikode.
The mishap occurred when the workers were clearing the blockage in the underground drainage having a depth of six feet on Palayam road around 11 a.m. Toxic gases and the lack of oxygen led to their asphyxiation, the fire force said.
When the first worker got into the drainage, he collapsed and the other too was choked as he entered the pit.
Hearing their screams, Noushad rushed to the spot and sneaked through the manhole to rescue them, but he too apparently fainted.
The people alerted the fire force and the fire brigade which retrieved the bodies. The body of Noushad was found after a 30-minute search as the drainage was almost full with water.
The Kasaba police registered a case of unnatural death. The workers were deputed by Chennai- based Sewage Company, Shriram EPC Private Limited.
A two-year contract for clearing the 33-km drainage was awarded to the company by the Kozhikode Corporation in October, 2011. Later the contract was extended to two more years, said Mayor V.K.C. Mammad Koya.
He alleged that the company had given a sub-contract to the labourers without any safety measures which caused the mishap. The District Collector has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the families of the victims.
The labourers were said to be doing the work for the last eight years. Police sources said the Chennai-based contractors Shriram EPC Private Limited will be slapped with IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
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