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Two die after inhaling toxic fumes from septic tank in Delhi’s Badarpur
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
Two men died and another was hospitalised after inhaling poisonous fumes from a septic tank at a four-storey building at Molarband in south Delhi’s Badarpur neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon, police said.
The dead persons included the owner of the building, Satish Chawla,60, and Devender (single name), a 40-year-old hired to clean the tank.
The man who was hospitalised and survived was identified by his first name Manoj. He is a contractor whom Chawla had hired to clean the tank. Devender worked for Manoj, the police said.
Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) RP Meena said a case under section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Badarpur police station. “The case has been registered against the building owner, who is among the two dead persons,” Meena said.
DCP Meena said the police received a call at 4.45 pm, saying three persons had fallen into the septic tank of a building at F-block in Molarband. A team from the Badarpur police station reached there and found that one person, Manoj, has been rescued from the tank and admitted to a nearby hospital.
“Rescue teams from the fire department arrived and two more persons – Devender and Satish Chawla – were taken out from the tank and rushed to a private hospital where they were declared brought dead,” the DCP said.
During preliminary enquiry, Meena said, it was learnt that Chawla owned the building that has 18 rooms occupied by his tenants. The septic tank is in the basement of the building. Chawla lived in a nearby building and ran a grocery shop. Chawla wanted to get the septic tank cleaned and had given the contract to Manoj.
“On Saturday afternoon, Manoj and Devender came to clean the tank. When Devender went inside the tank, he fell unconscious. Manoj went inside and fell unconscious. Chawla went in to save them but he too lost consciousness. Some locals managed to pull Manoj out and rushed him to a hospital,” the DCP said.
Initial probe showed the persons entered the tank without any safety gear. “Prime facie, it appears they inhaled toxic fumes and collapsed in the tank,” a police officer associated with the probe said, requesting anonymity.
In May last year, two labourers died and three others were hospitalised while cleaning a septic tank without safety gear at a under-construction building in outer Delhi’s Prem Nagar.
