Chennai: One worker died and another rescued worker is in serious condition after they got trapped in a trench dug for underground sewage as sand caved in while working at New Kumaran Nagar in Sholinganallur on Friday morning.
After an ordeal that lasted five hours, fire and rescue service personnel were able to retrieve one person alive while the other worker got killed. According to rescue personnel, the dredging works were complete and workers were engaged in closing the trench around 9.45 am when the accident happened. The trench was four feet long and about 15 feet deep, a rescue personnel noted.
Then trapped workers were identified as M. Balasubramani and P. Balasubramani. Neighbours and other workers rushed to the scene hearing loud screams and immediately alerted the police. Fire tenders from Thoraipakkam, Sholinganallur and Guindy rushed to the scene with rescue personnel.
More than 25 rescue personnel were engaged in the rescue operations, according to Ravichandran, Station Fire Officer, Sholinganallur. Police investigations revealed that sand had caved in when the workers removed the iron rods and wooden logs kept in the trench, trapping them.
Functionaries from the DMK and the AIADMK too arrived at the scene with men and equipment to offer help, police sources said. The deceased was identified as M Subramani (56), a native of the Thennathur village near Vandavasi, Tiruvannamalai district. The rescued worker is also from Vandavasi and was identified as P Subramani (42), police said.
The rescued worker was moved to a private hospital in Sholinganallur for treatment, while the dead worker’s body was moved to the Royapettah GH for an autopsy. Police quoted a family member as saying that the deceased had come to Chennai only on Thursday night from his native village.
Fifteen workers were engaged in the Underground sewage works in this area for the past one year and they were all camped at Panaiyur, police said. Semmenchery Police are investigating.
