Three Dead From Suspected Toxic Gas Inhalation In Puducherry, 2 Hospitalised

Following the incident, local police have restricted the entry of people to 4th Cross Road where the incident took place.

Reports indicate that toxic gas generated within the underground pipes flowed back and erupted through the toilet outlets in the homes.

In Pudhu Nagar of Puducherry, three individuals, including two women and a 15-year-old girl, were allegedly asphyxiated after inhaling toxic gases that emanated from the bathrooms of their homes on Tuesday morning. The deceased have been identified as Senthamarai (72), her daughter Kamatchi (55) of the same family, and their neighbour, a 15-year-old Selvarani. Two others also fell ill in the incident and are currently receiving treatment at hospitals in Puducherry. 

On Tuesday, the incident took place around 8 a.m. when Senthamarai went to the bathroom of her home and suddenly fainted. Her daughter Kamatchi who rushed to rescue her also collapsed after reportedly inhaling the toxic gas. In a separate turn of events, Selvarani, who lived next door, fainted in her own bathroom due to the gas seeping from the sewage pipe, according to a report on The New Indian Express.

Following the incident, local police have restricted the entry of people to 4th Cross Road where the incident took place. They also used a megaphone to instruct all residents to evacuate the area for safety reasons.

In the incident, Kamakchi's daughter, Bakiyalakshmi and their neighbour Rajeshkanna have also been hospitalised. 

In this area, house toilet pipelines are linked to a centralized underground drainage and sewage system, with a sewage water treatment unit located nearby. Reports indicate that toxic gas generated within the underground pipes flowed back and erupted through the toilet outlets in the homes. However, investigations are on.

As soon as the incident unfolded, Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and PWD Minister K. Lakshminarayanan rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. The CM told the public that a medical camp would be set up to provide treatment for all the residents. 

#WATCH | Puducherry CM N Rangasamy visits Pudu Nagar near the Reddiarpalayam area where 3 died due to poisonous gas leakage from a toilet. pic.twitter.com/CadNmG7nbH

— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2024

 

The officials were also pushed into inspecting the manholes in Reddipalayam and Pudunagar. The people in the area have been requested to wear masks to avoid any untoward incidents.