CHENNAI: A 61-year-old man died after inhaling noxious gases while attempting to rescue his son who fell into the well in the backyard of their house in Mappedu in the neighbouring Tiruvallur district on Saturday.
The son was rescued by neighbours and fire and rescue service personnel and is under treatment at a hospital, according to the police.
The deceased man was identified as Jothi of Mudukur village near Mappedu. The police investigations revealed that Jothi and his son, Santhosh Kumar, dug a well behind their house without obtaining proper permission from the local body.
On Saturday, when Santhosh went to check the water, he slipped and fell into the 30-foot-deep well. Hearing his son's screams, Jothi got down the well to rescue him but fell unconscious after being hit by noxious gases.
Santhosh's mother raised an alarm after which neighbours and fire and rescue service personnel reached the scene and pulled out both the father and the son. The father was declared dead on arrival at the hospital after which his body was moved to the government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Mappedu Police have registered a case and are investigating.