AHMEDABAD: In a tragic incident at a textile dyeing and printing facility in Baleshwar village on the Palsana-Kadodara route in Surat district, four migrant labourers from Bihar lost their lives due to asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank on Wednesday. The four workers descended into a 25-foot-deep sewage tank, where the tragedy unfolded.
Unfortunately, they succumbed to the conditions inside the tank, and two others attempting to rescue them also lost consciousness, according to HL Rathod, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Surat Rural. The bodies of all four victims were transported to Surat Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The textile unit, specialising in yarn dyeing and printing, collects hazardous waste in a tank, with water recycled. The accumulation of solid hazardous waste produces gas in the tank, resulting in the untimely death of the labourers.
Emergency response teams from ERC fire stations at Kamrej and Bardoli swiftly responded to the distress call. Fire-fighters extracted the unconscious workers—identified as Rajesh, Kamlesh, Sehnawaz, and Deepak—from the septic tank, but they were declared dead by the 108-emergency team.
According to reports, the company had contracted the cleaning of eight septic tanks, intending to use machinery. However, a motor failure prompted the first worker to dive into the tank. When there was no response, the subsequent workers entered the tank, leading to their tragic deaths due to suffocation.
Initially deemed an accidental case, the police stated that if negligence or carelessness is discovered during the inquiry, they would pursue a case of criminal negligence and investigate accordingly.