COIMBATORE: Two workers died of suffocation, and another was hospitalised while cleaning a tanker which transported chemical substances in Erode on Sunday.

Police identified the deceased as Yuganandavel alias Anandan (50), and Chandran (62), while Chellappan (52), has been admitted to the Government Hospital in Bhavani in a critical condition.

The tanker from Hyderabad had unloaded aluminium chloride in two dyeing units in Tirupur and arrived at the water service station in Konavaikal near Bhavani in Erode for cleaning.

“It was Chellappan who first got into the tank and fainted. Immediately, two others rushed down to rescue him, but died of suffocation,” police said.

On receiving the information, the rescue personnel got into the tanker by wearing safety gear and retrieved the workers.

The body of the deceased person was sent for a post-mortem at the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai. Further inquiries are being made by the Chithode police.