CHENNAI: A Sriperumbudur resident’s decision to peer into the septic tank at his house led to a tragic turn of events that resulted in six people, including the man and his two sons, falling dead in minutes after inhaling a mix of toxic gases on Tuesday.Police said V Krishnamurthy, 53, who runs a grocery in front of his house at Chella Perumal Nagar, had engaged a truck to pump out sewage from a 12-foot-deep septic tank. While waiting for the truck that had left with a full load to return, Krishnamurthy decided to check the quantum of sewage left in the tank. As his wife, Latha, 50, watched from a short distance, he peered down through the small opening only to swoon and fall in. His wife raised the alarm and her elder son, Kannan, 23, who was at the shop, rushed to the rescue. But he too swooned and fell into the tank the moment he peered in to check where his father was. The woman’s cries drew her younger son, Karthik, 21, from their house and he too suffered the same fate.Hearing Latha’s screams, M Lakshmipathi, 21, of Arani, a customer who had come to the shop, rushed to help. He took off his shirt, aiming to enter the septic tank, but as soon as he looked through the manhole opening, he too swooned.Fresh water was pumped into sumpBy then two tenants from the neighbourhood Surata Bai, 30, native of Odisha, and V Paramasivam, 31, of Sriperumbudur — rushed to the scene. But they too suffered the same fate, falling unconscious into the septic tank the moment they peered in. Neighbours then informed police and fire and rescue personnel. A fire officer said, “We pumped in fresh water into the sewage sump and waited for at least 10 to 15 minutes for the gas trapped inside to dissipate.” Fire personnel then got into the sump and pulled out the bodies.Latha, who had watched helplessly as the tragedy unfolded, blamed herself for her children’s death.Kancheepuram district SP Santhosh Haidmeni and assistant superintendent of police Rajesh Khanna rushed to the spot and held an inquiry. Khanna said, “The victims did not realise there would be noxious gas formation inside the empty portions of the sump.”The bodies were sent to the government hospital in Sriperumbudur for an autopsy. The Sriperumbudur police have registered a case and further investigations are on.

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