Mumbai: Three labourers suffocated to death inside the septic tank of a residential society in Malwani while cleaning it on Thursday morning. The Malwani police have booked the contractor who had employed them for making them work without taking necessary precautions.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 9.30 a.m. on Thursday. “A family stays in a cluster of houses near Malwani Church and had given the job of cleaning the septic tank to a private contractor. He sent four workers to clean the tank on Thursday morning. Three of them entered the tank while the fourth stayed outside to pass on equipment and forhelp,” an officer with Malwani police station said.
When the trio did not come out for over half-an-hour and failed to respond to calls, he peeped inside and saw them lying unconscious and raised an alarm. The crowd that gathered pulled the three workers out and took them to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where two were declared dead before admission. The third died during treatment due to respiratory failure, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Murtibhai Harijan, Maya Harijan and Kashi Harijan, all daily wage workers, police said.
The police recorded statements of the surviving labourer and residents who had helped with the rescue, who concurred that there were strong fumes inside the septic tank. After making inquiries with the family and the contractor, police established that no precautions were taken. “We have booked the contractor, Panni Selvam Harijan, for causing death due to negligence under the IPC,” the officer added.
Police are now investigating to find out if there are enough grounds to book the family as well, as the family should have ensured the septic tank was cleaned regularly so that toxic fumes do not accumulate.
