In a shocking incident, five persons were killed while cleaning a septic tank at the Bhaucha Tanda village located in the Sonepath tehsil of Parbhani district in Maharashtra.
The incident took place on Thursday night when the conservancy workers were cleaning a septic tank with a machine, reports reaching here said.
The deceased were identified as Firoz Sheikh, Naved Sheikh, Shahrukh Sheikh, Junaid Sheikh and Sadiq Sheikh.
Another conservancy worker, Sabir Sheikh, is critical and admitted to the Ambejogai Government Hospital in Beed district. On Friday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
The Parbhani police has registered an accidental death report. A probe is on to ascertain whether the victims accidentally inhaled toxic fumes inside the septic tank or from suspected electric shocks of the machine they were using. The autopsy reports are awaited.
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