Chennai: Four persons died and one survived axphyxiation caused by the inhalation of methane gas at Hyundai Motor India Limited's new sewage treatment plant at Irrungattukottai near Chennai on 7.12.2007 evening owing to.

The new sewage treatment plant part of the Hyundai Motor India's expansion project was under testing.

Says S Ganapathi, vice president, General administration and human resource, ''Around 8.30 pm it was found that the motor inside the sewage treatment plant was not working. One engineer went down to set it right but he fainted. In order to rescue him other four followed.''

While three succumbed to the deadly gas one managed to scramble back to safety. ''He has been admitted into a city hospital,'' Ganapathi says.

Three of the dead are engineers working for the Pune-based Thermax Limited the turnkey contractor for the sewage plant. The fourth person, Muthu is an employee of the civil contractor hired by Thermax.

According to Ganapathi, Hyundai Motor India has announced an ex gratia payment of of Rs2 lakh to the family of the dead. ''Thermax is also likely to announce some compensation,'' adds Ganapathi.

On Saturday morning the Inspector of Factories made a visit to Hyundai Motor India's plant.

He is expected to raise some objections and prescribe more safeguards at the plant which may delay a bit the expansion project.

It is to be noted the entire North Chennai city was under panic couple of days ago when noxious gas from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited leaked.

Most of the schools and even some offices in the locality declared holiday when people started coughing and the stench became unbearable.

Fortunately there were no other casualties at that time.