3 labourers die of asphyxiation in septic tank in Odisha’s Sambalpur

Officials said the labourers were engaged in the centring work of a septic tank at an under-construction toilet in Pukuda village of Jamankria police station

Published on: Aug 24, 2024, 16:55:08 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: Three labourers died of asphyxiation while carrying out roof-centering work on a septic tank in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Saturday, while one is being treated at the hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, officials said.

Officials said the labourers were engaged in the centring work of a septic tank at an under-construction toilet in Pukuda village of Jamankria police station.

The toilet tank was constructed around four months ago, but the centring of the toilet tank was incomplete and was scheduled for Saturday, said officials.

The labourers after entering the septic tank, became unconscious due to suffocation, said officials, adding that others present at the spot immediately pulled them out and took them to the nearby hospital, where three were declared dead by the doctors.

The deceased have been identified as Srikant Munda, Bharat Rana, and Basant Dehury. Another labourer, Siddharth Mund, who became unconscious, has been shifted to the district headquarters hospital.

According to the doctors at the hospital, the cause of asphyxiation may have been due to the presence of toxic gases in the tank. These gases can include methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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