Three workers cleaning septic tank die in accident

Three workers died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a septic tank at a printing factory in Delhi’s Mundka Industrial Area on Friday afternoon after one of them accidentally slipped into the tank and the other two entered in an attempt to rescue him, officials said. The deceased were identified as Arun (38), son of Ajeet Singh, Sandeep (32), son of Paleram, and Chand (42), son of Raju. All three were residents of Indra Jheel in Sultanpuri. 

The incident has left the families of the deceased devastated. According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a call reporting that several persons were trapped inside a septic tank at Factory in Gali number 1 of Mundka Industrial Area was received at 12.03 pm. Two water tenders were rushed to the spot, while another was dispatched from the Tikri side after the responding team reported being delayed due to traffic congestion.

A DFS official told The Pioneer that the three men were private labourers engaged in septic tank cleaning through a private agency. They were not cleaning the tank from inside but were working from outside after opening the manhole and inserting a pipe into the tank. During the operation, one of the workers bent down to adjust the pipe when he slipped into the tank as the ground around the manhole had become slippery due to accumulated sludge. 

The second worker climbed in to rescue him, while the third also entered the tank in an attempt to save the two. The official said a disaster response team reached the spot before the fire department but lacked the specialised equipment required to carry out the rescue.  After arriving, DFS personnel wore protective gear and entered the tank to pull out the three workers. 
However, all three had already succumbed to inhalation of toxic gases. “Gases released from septic tanks are extremely hazardous and can prove fatal within seconds of inhalation,” the official said, adding that none of the workers was wearing any protective equipment during the operation.

Police said a PCR call initially reported that three men cleaning a tank had fallen inside. During the inquiry, it was found that Marwah Printers had hired a contractor, identified as Neeraj, a resident of Nangloi, to clean the septic tank inside the factory premises. Neeraj and the three workers were engaged in the cleaning operation when the incident occurred. A senior police officer also confirmed that the workers were not wearing any safety equipment at the time of the incident.

Following the incident, police registered an FIR under Sections 106 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 9 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, and Section 3(1)(j) of the SC/ST Act. Three persons have been arrested in connection with the case. They have been identified as Suraj Marwah (50), a resident of Mansarovar Garden and the owner of the factory, Jayant (61), a resident of Das Garden, Baprola Vihar, and Neeraj (35), a resident of Nangloi, who police said was the contractor and owner of the vehicle used for the cleaning work.

The bodies have been shifted to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death. 
Police said that further investigation is underway to determine whether safety norms were violated and to fix responsibility for the deaths.