Mumbai, April 18: In a tragic incident, three sanitation workers suffocated to death while one was rushed to the hospital after inhaling toxic gases while  cleaning septic tank in Mumbai. The horrific incident took place in Virar area when the labourers were cleaning the sewer tank of a private bungalow, reports informed. According to a report by TOI, the Arnala police have registered an accidental death case. The autopsy report is currently awaited to determine if an FIR should be filed against the bungalow owner.

The owner of the house, identified as Hemant Gharat, had hired the four labourers despite the COVID-19 lockdown in the country that has been imposed till May 3. The TOI report claims that the workers entered the septic tank at Gharat's bunglow in Ranpada village, in Virar's Boling without any safety gear. While the owner supervised the work from outside, the labourers complained of uneasiness soon after entering the septic tank. Septic Tanks Have Turned ‘Gas Chambers’ for Sanitation Workers: Shiv Sena.

The report adds that the owner pulled them out of the septic tank and rushed them to a private hospital. At their arrival, three workers were declared dead while one was critical and is currently undergoing treatment at Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar. The Police is in the process of registering a case of causing death due to negligence against the bungalow owner and also Sections 188 (disobedience) and 296 (spread of infection) of IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act,1897, and Disaster Management Act, 2005.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2020 10:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).