Worker Dies as 10-Foot Pit Caves in During Sewage Work in Thiruvottiyur

A 37-year-old contract worker engaged by the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board died after a 10-foot-deep pit caved in during underground sewage repair work on Gramam Street in Thiruvottiyur in the early hours of Saturday.

The deceased worker has been identified as Bhoominathan, a native of Tiruvannamalai district. Police said he was among four workers stationed inside a freshly dug pit to replace a damaged sewage tank serving four houses in the neighbourhood.

Around 4 am, while the workers were carrying out the repairs, soil from one side of the pit suddenly collapsed, trapping Bhoominathan underneath. Fire and rescue personnel, with assistance from local residents, carried out an operation lasting approximately two-and-a-half hours to clear the earth and retrieve him. Rescuers found that he had died before they could reach him.

According to the police, sewage from the damaged tank had leaked and filled the pit while the laborers were working inside. Sources noted that the loose soil in the coastal locality may have contributed to the sudden collapse of the pit walls.

Following the incident, the police registered a case against two individuals associated with the private contracting firm. The charges have been filed under Section 105(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita alongside provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.