Worker Dies and Another Hospitalised After Inhaling Toxic Gas in Guduvanchery Well

A 28-year-old worker died and another was hospitalised in critical condition after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a 60-foot-deep well at a residential house on Muthumariamman Koil Street in Kamarajapuram, near Guduvanchery, on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Vinoth, aged 28. The surviving worker, 25-year-old Prabhu, was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Chengalpattu Government Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

According to the Guduvanchery police, the incident took place at the home of a local resident identified as Sivaprakasam. Due to the summer, the 60-foot-deep well on the property had dried up. This prompted the house owner, Sivaprakasam, to have the well desilted and deepened.

Sivaprakasam engaged Vinoth and Prabhu through a private agent to carry out the cleaning and deepening work. The two workers arrived at the Kamarajapuram residence on Thursday afternoon to begin the task.

The duo entered the deep well on Thursday afternoon. After some time, the residents noticed that the workers had failed to return to the surface. Upon checking the well, the residents discovered both Vinoth and Prabhu lying unconscious at the bottom of the structure.

Personnel from the Maraimalai Nagar Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the Muthumariamman Koil Street residence to launch a rescue operation. The rescue team successfully retrieved both unconscious men from the well.

Both victims were shifted to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital in a 108 ambulance. Doctors at the hospital declared Vinoth dead. The Guduvanchery police recovered Vinoth's body and sent it for a postmortem examination. Meanwhile, Prabhu was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he is undergoing treatment.