HUBBALLI: Four construction workers were admitted to Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute (KMC-RI) on Tuesday after they were found unconscious in a newly constructed shop located at Deshpande Nagar in Hubballi. All four victims – Jafar, Ahemad, Jabhi and Hyder – are residents of Bengaluru and were engaged in making electrical and other signboards for business establishments.
A preliminary report said the four workers were engaged in making a signboard for the shop, and slept inside the room at night. The shop did not have any ventilation, and the toluene (a chemical substance which is toxic upon inhalation) in the glue might have spread in the room, leaving them unconscious.
A source in the police said the incident came to light when another person came to the shop and lifted the shutters. The workers were found unconscious, and with the help of police, they were shifted to the hospital. At the time of reporting, they were under treatment and not in a condition to speak.
The hospital authorities said all four workers are out of danger. “We have not registered a case yet, we are waiting for their family members to arrive. Based on the statement of their family members, a complaint will be registered. So far, it is not known for whom they were working, or whether they own the business of installing signboards,” the source said.
Health experts said the majority of glue brands contain toluene, which has different impacts on different individuals. Excess inhalation of the substance may cause vomiting, skin rashes, intoxication, split personality behavior and unconsciousness. Unless provided timely medical treatment, it may even cause death, they said.
“All four workers might have slept late at night, keeping the signboard and the leftover glues inside the room. Freshly applied glue releases toxic gas, and it might have affected the people inside the shop,” one of the experts said.