PARADIP: A worker was suffocated to death while trying to fix a leak in the pipeline of Bharat Gas Resources Ltd (BGRL) at Taladanda within Kujang police limits on Friday.
Police identified the deceased as 35-year-old Parimal Gaina of Bijaychandrapur within Paradip Model police limits.
Sources said villagers reported leakage from a sump connected to the domestic gas pipeline laid by BGRL at Taladanda along Cuttack-Paradip state highway. On being informed, BGRL deployed a contractor to seal the pipeline valve. The contractor engaged two workers from Bijaychandrapur to fix the leak. Police were deployed at Taladanda to control traffic on the highway. Fire service personnel were also sent to the spot to assist in the repair work.
Parimal entered the sump to seal the valve and plug the leak while the other worker waited outside. However, he reportedly fell unconscious inside the sump after a few minutes due to gas exposure. His co-worker alerted the fire service personnel and police present at the spot. By the time Parimal was brought out of the sump, he was already dead.
Parimal’s co-worker alleged that neither the contractor nor the company provided any safety gear to carry out the task. Besides, both of them lacked experience in handling gas pipeline leaks but were engaged in the work.
Stating that the gas leak has been sealed, a senior officer of BGRL said the cause of the worker’s death is yet to be determined. An inquiry has been initiated to investigate both the leakage and the death.
Kujang IIC Rasmi Ranjan Das said police have seized the worker’s body and sent it to the local hospital for postmortem. “The exact cause of his death will be ascertained after receiving the autopsy report. Further investigation is underway,” he added.