3 workers die after inhaling fumes inside chemical tank in Gurugram, FIR against company owner

Police booked the owner and four officials under charges of causing death by negligence after the workers allegedly entered the tank without safety equipment.

Three workers died after losing consciousness while carrying out maintenance work inside a chemical storage tank at an automotive component manufacturing facility in Dhumsapur, Bhondsi, on Wednesday morning, police said. An FIR has been registered against the company owner and four officials following allegations that the workers were sent inside the tank without adequate safety equipment.

The workers lost consciousness within minutes of entering the tank at an automotive component manufacturing facility in Dhumsapur, Bhondsi. (HT Photo/Subhash Sharma/Representational )

Police said the incident occurred around 9.30am when the three workers entered the tank, which was used to store hazardous chemicals, for routine maintenance work.

Deceased workers include two Bihar natives and a Gurugram resident

The deceased were identified as Naresh Yadav (56), a resident of Badshahpur, Mohammad Arif (21), a native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, and Anil Jha (46), a native of Nawada in Bihar. Yadav had been working as a welder at the facility since 2021, while the other two were also employees of the company.

Investigators said the workers lost consciousness within minutes of entering the tank. Their colleagues noticed them lying unconscious, pulled them out and rushed them to a nearby private hospital.

One worker was declared dead on arrival, while the other two died during treatment, police said.

Police received information about the deaths from the hospital later in the day. A team reached the hospital, where Yadav’s son submitted a written complaint alleging that the company management had sent the workers inside the tank without providing adequate safety equipment.

The complainant alleged that the management’s failure to ensure necessary safety arrangements had led to the deaths.

FIR registered against company owner and four officials

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Bhondsi police station under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the company owner and four officials.

Investigators said they were examining whether the tank had been inspected for safety hazards before the workers entered.

Sandeep Turan, Gurugram police spokesperson, said post-mortem examinations would be conducted and further legal proceedings would follow.

“The investigation is underway, and an FIR has been registered against company management,” he said.

No compensation has been announced for the families so far.