Three die after inhaling poisonous gas in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: Three people, including a 15-year-old girl, died of asphyxiation after inhaling poisonous gas leaked from the restrooms of their houses at Reddiarpalayam in Puducherry on Tuesday morning.

Police said poisonous gas from a sewage treatment plant might have leaked and released through the restrooms of the houses at Pudu Nagar in Reddiarpalayam in the town limits.

Senthamarai, 75, her daughter Kamatchi and her neighbour Selvarani, 15, and two others fell unconscious after inhaling the gas.

They were rushed to Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Postgraduate Institute where doctors on duty declared that Senthamarai and Kamatchi were ‘brought dead’. The 15-year-old girl died despite medical attention.

Two others -- Balakrishnan and Bakkialakshmi -- were undergoing treatment.

Public works department and police directed the people to leave the locality.

Chief minister N Rangasamy, Congress MP V Vaithilingam and leader of the opposition R Siva visited the locality and consoled the family members of the victims. Rangasamy assured to provide adequate compensation to the families of the victims.