Bengaluru: 2 choke to death in septic tank, HR manager critical

BENGALURU: Two persons died of asphyxiation and the

HR manager

of a private company is battling for life after they fell into a

septic tank

in a factory at

Suryanagar

, Anekal ,on Monday evening.

The mishap happened on the campus of Paloma Turning Co. Pvt Ltd. James, 24, of

Hosur

in Tamil Nadu and Anand, 32, of

Manchenahalli

are the victims, while Chandrashekar is critical.

Police said Paloma company, which manufactures precision machined components, had hired a sewer-jetting machine to clean its septic tank. James, driver-cum-cleaner of the machine, started work with his supporting staff, removing six loads of waste from the tank till evening.

“When a

weighing scale

fell into the 10-foot-deep tank, James went inside to get the scale. But he collapsed within a few seconds. Anand, assistant manager with the company, tried to save James but he fell inside the tank. Chandrashekar, HR manager, too collapsed while trying to save the duo,” a police officer said.
Realising there was poisonous gas inside the tank, the company staff alerted fire and emergency services and police.

James and Anand were declared brought dead in the hospital while Chandrashekar is in ICU.

Suryanagar police have taken up a criminal negligence case against the management of Paloma company and owner of the jetting machine for not taking precautions. “We will take stringent action against those responsible for the tragedy,” said Nanjunde Gowda, deputy superintendent of police (Anekal sub-division).

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