Three contract workers have died after reportedly inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a wastewater treatment tank at a Tata Electronics plant in Tamil Nadu, southern India.
Police said on Tuesday that the workers died of suspected asphyxiation on Monday evening inside a nano-filtration feed tank at the facility in Krishnagiri district, about 291 kilometres west of Chennai.
“Last evening, three workers entered the wastewater treatment tank to carry out cleaning work at the Tata Electronics facility.
“They reportedly inhaled toxic gas and collapsed inside the tank. They were immediately rescued and rushed by ambulance to a private hospital in Hosur.
“However, doctors declared all three dead on arrival,” a police official said.
Reports said the workers were employed through a private firm, Nelco, and carried out cleaning work at the facility on a rotational basis, reportedly once every two months.
Their bodies were taken to a local hospital for post-mortem examinations.
Police have registered a case and commenced an investigation into the incident.
Dinesh Kumar, a senior government official in Krishnagiri district, directed officials to conduct a detailed investigation into the deaths.
Kumar said proper safety measures were not in place during the cleaning operation.
He said one worker initially attempted to look inside the tank but fainted after inhaling gas. Two others who entered the tank afterwards also collapsed.
A fourth worker witnessed the incident and raised the alarm.
Reports said more than 1,500 employees work at the facility in different shifts.
