Three contract labourers died and a fourth one was hospitalised after falling into a sewage tank at a sewage treatment plant of the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority in Mira Road on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Kashimira police, the incident occured at 2.30 p.m. at Shanti Garden.
Officials said that the three workers, Muzzaffar Mohlik (24), Rafiq Mandal (50) and Maffizul (19) had entered the tank without wearing safety gear. The fourth worker Aftar Mulla (19) was outside, but panicked after seeing his coworkers and was injured in the process.
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“Our inquiry has revealed that the tank was full of toxic gas and they suffocated as a result. Mr. Mulla suffered minor bruises when he tried to flee and raise an alarm,” police sub inspector Vaibhav Shingare, Kashimira police station said.
The fire brigade was called in and the trio was rushed to Temba Hospital in Bhayander where they were declared dead before admission.
An official from the sewage management department of Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation said that they had stepped in without notifying any of their superiors.
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“There is safety gear that is in place and workers have to use compulsorily. We found out that the deceased workers entered the sewage tank without donning the safety gear and without informing anyone. We are conducting further inquiries into the matter,” the official said.
The Kashimira police , meanwhile, have registered Accidental Death Reports and are conducting their own investigations into the matter.