Two women workers killed as soil caves in at construction site in TN's Madurai

Two women construction workers were suffocated to death on Friday after a massive mound of earth caved in on them at a wedding hall construction site near Silaiman in Madurai district, police said.Three other workers, who were tying iron rods inside the deep pit, managed to escape.The deceased have been identified as Dhanalakshmi 46, a resident of Manalur East, and Thamilarasi 60 from Puliyankulam.According to police, the construction of a marriage hall belonging to a local resident named Thangaraju has been underway for the past few days.

Two women construction workers were suffocated to death on Friday after a massive mound of earth caved in on them at a wedding hall construction site near Silaiman in Madurai district, police said.

Three other workers, who were tying iron rods inside the deep pit, managed to escape.

The deceased have been identified as Dhanalakshmi (46), a resident of Manalur East, and Thamilarasi (60) from Puliyankulam.

According to police, the construction of a marriage hall belonging to a local resident named Thangaraju has been underway for the past few days. Workers had excavated a 20-foot-deep pit for the basement and pillar construction of the building.

The accident occurred in the afternoon when Dhanalakshmi and Thamilarasi were walking near the edge of the deep pit after having their lunch. Suddenly, the loose soil caved in, dragging them down into the pit and burying them under a heavy mound of earth.

''We had just finished our lunch. While I was working outside, they were walking past the edge of the pit. Suddenly, the soil collapsed and they plunged inside. They were completely buried,'' an eyewitness and fellow worker, said.

Hearing the sudden cave-in, three workers who were tying iron rods at the bottom of the pit managed to run to safety and raised an alarm.

Upon receiving information, the Silaiman police rushed to the spot. While police personnel and local workers managed to retrieve Dhanalakshmi's body, recovering Thamilarasi's body posed a severe challenge. A team of over 10 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services department was brought in. Following an intense operation, they dug through the debris and pulled Thamilarasi's body out using ropes.

The bodies of both victims have been sent to the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

The Silaiman police have registered a case against the building owner, Thangaraju, and have initiated a probe.