Prayagraj: Two Brahmin construction workers allegedly died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a septic tank at an under-construction house in the Dairi-Nevada Samogar area of Prayagraj on Friday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Nihal Shukla (30), son of Mathura Prasad, and Rajat Shukla (29), son of Vinod, both residents of Bendau village. According to police, the two men were relatives and had entered a newly constructed septic tank to remove shuttering when they reportedly lost consciousness after being exposed to poisonous gas accumulated inside the confined space.
After receiving information about the incident, ACP (Karachhana) Sunil Kumar Singh, personnel from the Industrial Area police station and a fire brigade team rushed to the site. Firefighters first sprayed water inside the septic tank as part of the rescue operation. Subsequently, a rescuer wearing a breathing apparatus entered the tank to retrieve the workers.
After nearly 30 minutes of rescue efforts, the two workers were pulled out with the help of ropes. However, both had already died by the time they were brought out.
Police suspect that the workers died after inhaling toxic gases that had accumulated inside the septic tank. The exact cause of death will be established through post-mortem examinations.
Following the incident, police detained the house owner, Dharmendra Kesarwani, and the contractor for questioning. The families of the deceased subsequently submitted a written complaint against the house owner.
Industrial Area police station SHO Kamlesh Patel said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
