Three contract workers suffocate to death in BSNL inspection chamber

Preliminary investigations suggest that the deceased may have faced a lack of oxygen or toxic gases in a confined space, leading to instant suffocation

PUNE: Three contract workers died of suffocation while working inside a BSNL inspection chamber on Friday in the Pradhikaran area of Nigdi. The workers had entered an underground chamber to carry out maintenance work on optic fibre cables, said the police.

The incident raised serious concerns regarding the safety measures for contract labourers in utility and telecom services. (Representational)

The deceased have been identified as Datta Holare and Lakhan Dhavare, residents of Gurudwara Chowk in Akurdi, and Sahebrao Girase of Bijlinagar. An official from BSNL said that all three were contract based employees for BSNL’s Akurdi office.

According to the police, the incident raised serious concerns regarding the safety measures for contract labourers in utility and telecom services.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the deceased may have faced a lack of oxygen or toxic gases in a confined space, leading to instant suffocation. Nigdi police and emergency services reached the spot after being alerted by locals, and the three were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital. Assistant commissioner of police (Chinchwad division) Vitthal Kubade said, “The doctors declared the trio dead on arrival. We are trying to determine why BSNL contractual staff were working on August 15.”

The police are investigating whether proper security protocols were followed, or whether there was any negligence in assigning such hazardous work on a national holiday.