Two dead after ‘inhaling’ toxic fumes in factory

While one woman died on the night of the incident on Thursday, the other collapsed the following day, said the police. Both experienced severe health complications, leading to their immediate hospitalisation

Two women died and two others were critical following exposure to toxic fumes at a mosquito repellent-making factory in Kanpur, police said.

The dead woman's body. Focus on hand (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

While one woman died on the night of the incident on Thursday, the other collapsed the following day, said the police. Both experienced severe health complications, leading to their immediate hospitalisation.

While the deceased were Priya, 23, and Preeti, 21, Gauri, 22, and Divya, 35, were still undergoing treatment in a Kanpur hospital.

Meanwhile, the factory operator was absconding. The factory, which employed 70 workers, was operational at the time of the incident, with reports indicating that the hazardous fumes originated from chemicals used in the production process.

In response to the situation, a fire safety team was dispatched to investigate the factory’s operations and safety standards. Kannauj superintendent of police Amit Kumar Anand, who met the affected families, said necessary legal actions would be taken based after a probe.