Delhi: Two die of toxic gas while cleaning septic tank in Ashok Nagar

A 55-year-old labourer died while another was sent to a hospital after they allegedly inhaled toxic gases inside a septic tank in East Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar, police said.

The two workers were reportedly sent nearly eight feet deep inside a septic tank without any safety gear, oxygen support or protective equipment, they said.

According to the police, the house owner had hired a contractor, Anil, to clean the septic tank. The contractor engaged Vinod and Dharmender, aged 55 and 34, both residents of Sector-16, Noida, for the work.

The two workers allegedly inhaled poisonous gases inside the tank and fainted within minutes, the police said.

The contractor and locals gathered there used ropes and hooks to pull the two men out and rushed them to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, they said.

Doctors at the hospital declared Vinod dead on arrival, while Dharmender remains in critical condition.

A police officer said preliminary investigation points to negligence as the workers were allegedly made to enter the septic tank without mandatory safety equipment or protective measures.

“A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. The contractor and the house owner are being questioned,” the officer said.