Four youths die while cleaning septic tank near Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu

TUTICORIN: Four youths died of asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank at a house in Keela Chekkarakudi village in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday afternoon.
The deceased have been identified as Pandi, 24, Isakiraja, 20, Bala, 23, and Dinesh, 20. All were from Veeravanallur in neighbouring Tirunelveli district.
They were engaged in cleaning a septic tank at the house of A Somasundaram, 65, of North Street in Keela Chekkarakudi.
“The team had cleaned the septic tank twice and emptied the load,” Srivaikuntam station fire officer (SFO) T Muthukumar told TOI.
Asphyxiation happened around noon during the third round of cleaning. “One of them fainted. On seeing him fainting, the others entered the tank one after the other to his rescue him,” the SFO said.
The trio rescued the man. People who were waiting outside rushed him to hospital. But he died en route.
The three others died in the septic tank.
On receiving information, the Thattaparai police and fire and rescue services personnel form the Srivaikuntam station, situated 27km away, rushed to the spot.
They retrieved the bodies from the tank. The bodies were taken to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.
Police said a case would be registered against the house owner.