Nabarangpur: Four people, including three sanitation workers and one local resident, lost their lives this morning after suffocating inside a newly constructed septic tank in Padalguda village under Nandahandi block of Nabarangpur district.
According to preliminary reports, a local resident had called sanitation workers to remove the centring slab of his newly built, approximately 10×10-foot septic tank. Two workers initially entered the tank but began suffocating almost immediately, possibly due to a lack of oxygen and the presence of hazardous gases trapped under the sealed slab.
A third worker entered the tank in a desperate attempt to rescue them, but also collapsed. Hearing their cries for help, a passerby jumped in to assist, but he too succumbed to the toxic environment.
Fire department personnel arrived promptly and rescued all four individuals from the tank and subsequently rushed them to Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). However, the three workers were declared dead on arrival, while the fourth victim, the passerby, was admitted to the ICU in critical condition. Tragically, he passed away a short while later.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the workers were not equipped with safety gear or oxygen support in confined space work. The tank, sealed for construction purposes, had possibly developed low oxygen levels, making it a death trap.
Meanwhile, police reached the spot and began a preliminary inquiry. Officials stated that a detailed investigation is underway, and said that further action will be taken after the post-mortem and forensic reports.
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