Chennai: A 54-year-old man was asphyxiated when he attempted to clean a sewage tank in his daughter’s residence in Taramani on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Murugan, a painter.
Murugan lived with his family at the Tamil Nadu slum clearance board quarters at Kanagam in Taramani.
His daughter, Ramya, lived with her family in the same quarters. On Tuesday, Murugan and his friend Ezhumalai (50) were set to clear the blockage in the sewage tank when the incident happened, police said.
Murugan had first ventured into the tank and within a few minutes, he fell unconscious. Alarmed, Ezhumalai too followed and met with the same fate. Murugan’s daughter Ramya who noticed that the inactivity went to check on her father when she found the duo lying unconscious there.
Neighbours rushed to the aid and alerted the Fire and rescue personnel who pulled up the elderly men and moved to a hospital nearby. Murugan was referred for treatment at the Government Royapettah Hospital where he breathed last.
Taramani police registered a case. His wife, Lakshmi and two children- Ramya and Nandagopal, survived Murugan.
Family members alleged that callous attitude by metro water workers in not clearing the drains in time led to Murugan taking it upon himself to clean the tank.
