Six laborers were killed Tuesday after they inhaled poisonous gas inside a septic tank in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, local officials said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The laborers died at Nemili village near Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district, about 40 km south of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
"In a tragic incident here, six people died of asphyxiation after entering a septic tank where they inhaled a poisonous gas," a local government official associated with disaster management in Kancheepuram told Xinhua.
"The men had entered the tank at an apartment to clean it."
According to officials initially four people entered the tank and when they did not come out two others went inside to check on them.
"None of them came out and after that villagers informed police and other officials," a police official said.
"We rushed our team apart from fire service personnel to the spot. The bodies have been retrieved from the tank and sent to government hospital for post-mortem."
The laborers were hired by the building owner to clear a block in the tank, officials said.
Locals said the workers entered the drain without taking precautions or wearing a proper gear.
Last week three farmers were killed and one went missing after they inhaled poisonous gas inside manhole of a drainage line in Maharashtra.