4 labourers die cleaning chemical tank in Ahmedabad

On Monday, four labourers died at Vatva GIDC while cleaning an effluent tank. Apart from the labourers who lost their lives, two labourers are in a critical condition and on ventilator while a few others are undergoing treatment at LG Hospital.

"At least four labourers died of asphyxiation after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a chemical effluent tank in a factory here, police said. Five others, who also inhaled the gas, are in a critical condition," said Inspector DR Gohil of Vatva GIDC police station.

The factory authorities rushed all the labourers to LG Hospital where four of them were declared brought dead while five others are undergoing treatment. "We have started the procedure to lodge an FIR in this regard," Gohil said.

The city's chief fire officer, Rajesh Bhatt, said the company manufactures dyes and intermediates and had shut the factory's operation since the past few days for some maintenance work.

Preliminary investigation revealed that some labourers, at a factory in Vatva GIDC area, entered the effluent tank to clean it, Gohil said. When the labourers started becoming unconscious due to the poisonous gas, others went inside to save them. However, they too became unconscious.

"The tank was used to store the effluent before it was sent for treatment. Though the fire brigade was called to pull out the labourers, the company officials did it by themselves and rushed these labourers to the hospital before we reached the spot," Bhatt said.

(With inputs from agency)

Incident

Labourers entered the effluent tank to clean it but started becoming unconscious due to poisonous gas
The factory authorities then rushed all the labourers to LG Hospital where four of them were declared brought dead