After days of protest, families of three labourers, who died of suffocation, receive their bodies
Families of three labourers who died of suffocation in a septic tank have received their bodies after a five-day protest demanding higher compensation. The victims' families received initial relief funds, with further compensation promised under welfare board regulations.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the dangers of hazardous manual labor and the ongoing struggle for adequate compensation and safety standards for construction workers.
After five days of protest, the families of three labourers, who suffocated to death inside a septic tank in a house under construction at Sendurai in Ariyalur district on October 2, received their bodies on Tuesday.
The deceased, who were identified as K. Bhaskar, 42, of Srinivasapuram in Tiruvarur district; K. Dhinakaran, 60, of Alivalam village in Tiruvarur district, and K. Ramachandran, 45, of Nakkambadi village in Ariyalur district, died one after the other after entering an eight-foot septic tank apparently due to suffocation.
Police arrested M. Subramanian, owner of the house. However, the family members of the deceased refused to accept their bodies after postmortem and demanded ₹30 lakh each. The CPI (M), Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) and Annihilation of Hazardous Sewerage Killings extended support to them.
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