Bengaluru: Toxic gas snuffs out three lives inside boiler at Anthem Biosciences factory

Private factory employee asked to “fix a leak” sans protective gear; other deceased tried to save him, but in vain
Sharavan’s colleagues wait outside the Victoria Hospital mortuary | vinod kumar t
Sharavan’s colleagues wait outside the Victoria Hospital mortuary | vinod kumar t

BENGALURU:  Twenty-eight-year-old electrical engineer Mahesh Kumar J’s child, which is expected in September, will never see its father in flesh-and-blood. He succumbed to sheer negligence in the premises of a private medical factory where he entered a toxic gas-filled boiler to save the life of a colleague who was allegedly ordered to enter it to “fix a leak”, although without protective gear. Mahesh from Kanakapura taluk stepped in to help Lokesh (28) of Mulabagal taluk, and Sharavan from Tamil Nadu followed both into the boiler to save them.

All three lost their lives on Tuesday night after this incident at Anthem Biosciences factory located in Harohalli Industrial Area, Ramanagaram district. Lokesh and Sharavan were recently married. A fourth employee, Hari Villigan, who also entered the boiler to rescue his three colleagues, too collapsed but was saved when others outside lowered oxygen masks. He was rushed to Jayanagar General Hospital in a serious condition, the police said.

The company was shut after the accident and no representative was available for comment. Colleagues took the four to Harohalli Government Hospital and then to Sairam private hospital, from where the bodies of the deceased were sent to Victoria Hospital. Families of the deceased as well as of Hari were informed about the tragedy only on Wednesday morning. This tragedy occurred despite a series of similar such incidents earlier in Bengaluru — mainly in manholes and septic tanks, which have claimed lives from inhalation of carbon monoxide -- which happened from neglecting basic safety rules such as wearing oxygen masks and protective clothing.

A doctor in Victoria Hospital’s forensic department said, “The cause of death appears to be breathlessness caused due to inhalation of toxic gases. We have sent their blood samples and lung tissue to our lab for investigation to identify the precise toxins inhaled by them,” the doctor said. Based on a complaint filed by Mahesh’s father, Shivamallegowda, the Harohalli police have taken up a case under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC against the management of the company.

“We are yet to question the members of the management (of Anthem Biosciences) and further action will be initiated based on findings of the investigation,” the police added. Mahesh GH, first cousin of Mahesh Kumar, said, “Mahesh’s wife Rashi is seven-and-a-half months pregnant. He had been married for just over a year. He is the only earning member of the family. His father Shivamalle Gowda, 60, is a retired bus conductor. No compensation has been announced.”

MADE TO WORK BEYOND DUTY HOURS
An employee of Anthem Biosciences who was present at the mortuary on Wednesday afternoon, said: “As per the rules of the factory, the employees had to work only till 10 PM. But these three were forced to work overtime by the production team. The factory did not use any safety equipment, masks and protective equipment while making them clean the boiler, which was mandatory to use on a day-to-day basis.”

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