Experts to analyse cause of deaths of cleaning workers at Delhi hospital

Brijesh, 26, and Vikram, 38, both from Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district died allegedly after inhalation of toxic gases during cleaning of a sewage treatment plant at Sri Balaji Action Hospital

Police are roping in industrial and forensic experts to probe Tuesday’s deaths of two workers, allegedly due to inhalation of toxic fumes while cleaning a sewage treatment plant (STP) tank at a private hospital in west Delhi. The experts will help establish what led to the gas emissions and if there were any mechanical or technical faults in the STP, officers, two senior police officers said on Thursday.

Police personnel at the construction site of Balaji Action hospital in Paschim Vihar on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

“This will help us understand the circumstances under which the two labourers died. The experts will also help us to ascertain if the fumes inside the tank were strong enough to displace oxygen in the confined space (tank). We suspect that the labourers fainted and collapsed, allegedly after inhaling hydrogen sulphide and methane gases. However, we are waiting for the autopsy and forensic reports to corroborate the same,” said one of the officers familiar with the probe.

The deceased — Brijesh, 26, and Vikram, 38, both from Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district — were employed by a private firm that had the annual maintenance contract (AMC) for the STP at Sri Balaji Action Hospital, according to the police.

On Tuesday around 6.30pm, Brijesh was the first to enter the tank and collapsed within two minutes, possibly after inhaling toxic gases. When he did not respond, other labourers ran to call for help. But by the time they returned, Vikram had gone in after him. He too fainted. Both were rushed to the hospital, where they were declared dead, police said.

“The supervisors and other officials of the private firm have joined our probe and we are recording their statements. Some officials of the hospital’s safety department have also been questioned. Since a detailed technical investigation is needed in the case, we are roping in industrial, forensic and technical experts. The documents related to the AMC contract between the hospital and the private firm are also being examined,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sachin Sharma.

A case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for death by negligence, and Section 9 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, was registered at Paschim Vihar East police station.