Rajasthan: Four dead after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning factory's septic tank in Bikaner

Four workers died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a septic tank in a factory in Rajasthan's Bikaner district on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place in Karni Industrial Area under Beechwal police station, they said.

Assistant sub-inspector at Beechwal police station, Puran Singh said the workers entered the 15-feet-deep tank to clean it and fell unconscious. Other people present there pulled them out.

The workers were rushed to the hospital where three of them were declared brought dead. The fourth worker died in the hospital, the police said.

The deceased were identified as Lal Chand, Choru Lal, Kalu Ram and Kishan, they said.

Singh said the bodies have been shifted to a mortuary. They will be handed over to the families of the deceased after a post-mortem examination on Monday.

"The family members of the workers have reached the mortuary. They have not given any complaint so far and therefore, no case has been registered yet. Action will be taken on the basis of their complaint," he said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condoled the loss of lives in the incident.

"The death of four workers in a gas leak incident at a wool factory in Karni Industrial Area in Beechwal area of Bikaner is extremely sad. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family members," he tweeted in Hindi.

बीकानेर के बीछवाल क्षेत्र में करनी इंडस्ट्रियल एरिया में ऊन फैक्ट्री में गैस रिसाव की घटना में चार श्रमिकों की मृत्यु अत्यंत दुखद हैI शोकाकुल परिजनों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं हैं, ईश्वर उन्हें यह आघात सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करें एवं दिवंगतों की आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करेंI

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) March 27, 2022

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje too expressed her condolences over the incident. Taking to Twitter she tweeted in Hindi, saying "The information about the death of four workers due to gas leakage in the wool factory located in Karni Industrial Area of Bikaner is sad. I pray to God for peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members."

 Raje urged the state government to provide financial assistance to the next of kin of the deceased. "The state government is requested to provide financial assistance to the next of kin of the deceased," she further tweeted.

#Bikaner के करणी इंडस्ट्रियल एरिया स्थित ऊन फैक्ट्री में गैस रिसाव के कारण चार श्रमिकों की मृत्यु का समाचार दुखद है। मैं ईश्वर से दिवंगतों की आत्मा को शान्ति व परिजनों को सम्बल देने की कामना करती हूं।

राज्य सरकार से आग्रह है कि मृतकों के परिजनों को आर्थिक सहायता प्रदान की जाए।

— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) March 27, 2022

Last year, the social justice and empowerment ministry had informed the Lok Sabha that 22 people had died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in 2021.

Ramdas Athawale’s written reply showed that five deaths each had taken place in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, four in Delhi, three in Gujarat, two each in Haryana and Telangana and one in Punjab. In 2020, there had been 19 such deaths, while the numbers in 2019, 2018 and 2017 had been 117, 70 and 93 respectively, according to a report by The Hindu.

As part of the national policy for mechanised sanitation, 1,416 sanitation workers (1,383 in Andhra Pradesh and 33 in Rajasthan) had been assisted with concessional loans through state channelising agencies to buy equipment for cleaning of drains in the past three financial years and this FY, the reply further stated.

With input from agencies

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