2 Indore workers cleaning sewerage chamber die after inhaling toxic gas; kin to get Rs 30 lakh

Indore: Two municipal workers died from asphyxiation due to toxic gas while cleaning a sewerage chamber on Monday in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said.

The two were cleaning a sewerage chamber in front of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar fruit and vegetable market, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sumit Kerkatta said.

"While cleaning it, a part of the pipe from the sewer suction machine broke and fell into the chamber. One of the workers, who went down to remove the pipe, fell unconscious after being exposed to toxic gas. Later, another municipal worker, who went down to rescue him, also fell unconscious," Kerkatta said.

Both died from asphyxiation due to the toxic gas present in the sewerage chamber and their bodies were taken out with the help of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Shrikrishna Lalchandani identified the deceased as Karan Yadav and Ajay Dodi.

Meanwhile, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), in a late night press release, said Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has given instructions to provide assistance of Rs 30 lakh each to the families of the two deceased workers.

The release claimed that both the sanitation workers died while releasing water from a municipal vehicle into a drainage line chamber after emptying a septic tank.

Eyewitness Amit Rajak said the duo entered the sewerage chamber without safety equipment.

He also alleged police, municipal workers, and ambulances did not reach the spot even after two hours of the incident. Passersby tried to rescue the two sanitation workers by pulling them out of the chamber, Rajak added.