COIMBATORE: Two workers were buried alive after a huge portion of mud slid on them while digging a well near Kotagiri in the Nilgiris on Friday.

Of the five labourers engaged in digging work at an under-construction lodging facility in Onnatti village, two, identified as Panneerselvam (50) and Satheesh Kumar (40), both residents of Gundada, were involved in excavating the 30-foot deep pit, while the three others stayed above to receive the soil.

Suddenly, a portion of the soil caved in, trapping the two workers. Fire and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out the bodies, and sent them for post-mortem at Kotagiri GH.

The workers alleged that the well was dug without proper approvals and demanded compensation for the victims’ families.