4 of family killed by poisonous gas in biogas plant in Kurukshetra

The men went into the 10-foot pit one after another as the previous one didn’t return. The bodies were taken out by labourers after women cried for help.

Four members of a family died one after another while trying to clean the septic tank of their biogas plant, filled with poisonous gas (methane), in Dera Rampur near Amin village of Kurukshetra district.

Family members of the deceased mourning at the Kurukshetra civil hospital on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

The deceased have been identified as Baldev Singh, 60, his sons Devender, 29 and Parvinder, 32 and Baldev’s cousin Joginder Singh, 42. As per villagers, they were trying to clean the tank and entered the 10-foot pit one after another and died inside.

Pradeep Singh, deceased Baldev’s nephew, said, “Devender had gone down to clean the septic tank first but he did not return. Then Parvinder and Baldev went to look for him one after another but they too got stuck due to the gas. When they too did not return, Joginder also went inside the tank.

He said later the family called the neighbours and all four were found dead inside the tank. Their bodies were taken out with the help of labourers, who were working in a nearby field. The bodies were taken to a hospital but were declared brought dead.

The biogas plant was constructed near their house and was not producing cooking gas as it needed cleaning.

Sandeep Kumar, a labourer, who was on the spot when the bodies were taken out, “We reached the spot as the women of the family were shouting for help. But the men could not be saved.”

He said the bodies were taken out with a rope and iron hook.