VELLORE: Two workers died at a private leather factory in Vellore’s Pernambut on Saturday, following a gas leak at a tanning drum at the factory. The deceased have been identified as Sheikh Ali (60) and Jamal Basha alias Settu (41), both residents of Pernambut.
According to Pernambut police, the two were working at PAB Leather Company located at Bakkalapalli village in Pernambut. The factory is owned by Ashan Basha.
The incident happened around 8.30 am on Saturday, as per police sources. The two employees were checking the tanning drum when they inhaled poisonous gas and collapsed. Other employees, who came later, found Sheikh and Settu lying unconscious inside the factory. They were rushed to a hospital at Umarabad in Tirupattur where they were declared dead. Later, they were shifted to Pernambut GH, where the postmortem examination was carried out.
Locals said that the two workers had gone to check on the leather sheets that were left for drying and separating hair in the tanning drum when the accident happened.
‘Many tanneries in Vellore violate rules’
Pernambut police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of BNSS and are further investigating it. According to sources, no action has been taken against the company yet.
Meanwhile, Atheeq Ur Rahman, councillor of Ward 1, where one of the deceased resides, said the factory was not following norms as per Factories Act, 1948, and that a case be filed against the owner of the factory for violations as per Factories Act and Environmental Protection Act, 1986. “Sheikh Ali has been working for PAB for around 15 years. The workers are not given proper safety equipment like masks or gloves. Several tanneries in the area fail to follow rules properly. Only the ones that are export-oriented follow them for getting audit certification,” he said, alleging that the inspector of factories does not carry out the inspection properly but just signs papers after receiving bribes. When contacted, Vellore Collector V R Subbulaxmi was not available for a comment.