Toxic fumes kill 3 workers inside Kalol ETP tank, one critical

Ahmedabad: Three migrant workers died and another was left battling for life after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning an underground tank at a textile processing unit in Saij GIDC near Kalol late on Thursday, said police officers.

Kalol DySP R M Sarode said that the incident took place at Mafatlal Gujarat Industries Ltd, where workers were cleaning an underground tank attached to the effluent treatment plant (ETP) of the company’s Unit C/15-18. Police said the workers entered the confined RCC tank one after another and collapsed due to suffocation caused by suspected poisonous gases and oxygen depletion.

The deceased were identified as Amit Parihar, 32, from Madhya Pradesh; Amarkumar Srivastava, 33, from Uttar Pradesh; and Shivnath Dubey, 44, also from Uttar Pradesh. Another worker, Anil Lodhi, 44, is undergoing treatment in a critical condition.

According to police, the cleaning operation began around 9.30pm on Thursday after water was pumped out of the underground tank used for treating coloured industrial wastewater generated during fabric dyeing operations. A layer of sludge and waste, nearly one-and-a-half feet thick, had accumulated at the bottom of the tank.

Police said Parihar and Srivastava first entered the tank using an iron ladder. They were carrying plastic containers to remove the sludge manually. Moments later, both suffocated and fainted, getting stuck in the muddy pit.

Seeing them collapse, Lodhi climbed into the tank to rescue them, but he too inhaled the toxic gases and fell unconscious. Dubey then jumped in to save the trio, but he too became trapped due to the lack of oxygen and presence of poisonous fumes.

Factory staff later pulled the workers out and rushed them to hospital, where three were declared dead.

Officials said all four workers were migrants who came to Gujarat in search of livelihood opportunities. Their deaths triggered outrage among labourers in the industrial belt, with questions being raised over whether adequate safety measures were in place before the workers were sent into the confined space.

Sarode said Kalol taluka police have registered a case of accidental death and launched an investigation. “The incident occurred late at night. An FSL team has been roped in to examine the presence of toxic gases in the tank. Further investigation is underway,” he said.

Police are also probing whether the company provided mandatory safety equipment such as gas detectors, oxygen cylinders, masks, harnesses and protective gear before asking the workers to enter the tank.