Two workers entered the tank first but began suffocating almost immediately, likely due to oxygen depletion and the accumulation of hazardous gases trapped beneath the sealed structure.
Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident on Monday morning, four people — including three sanitation workers and a local resident — died of asphyxiation inside a newly constructed septic tank in Padalguda village under Nandahandi block of Nabarangpur district.
According to initial reports, a local resident had engaged sanitation workers to dismantle the centring slab of his newly built septic tank, measuring approximately 10x10 feet. Two workers entered the tank first but began suffocating almost immediately, likely due to oxygen depletion and the accumulation of hazardous gases trapped beneath the sealed structure.
In a desperate rescue attempt, a third worker climbed down to help but also collapsed inside. A passerby, hearing their cries for help, jumped in to assist but succumbed to the toxic atmosphere as well.
Fire service personnel reached the scene promptly, pulling all four victims out of the tank and rushing them to the Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Doctors declared the three sanitation workers dead on arrival, while the fourth victim, the passerby, was admitted to the ICU in critical condition. Unfortunately, he too passed away shortly thereafter.
Eyewitnesses said none of the workers were provided with safety equipment or oxygen support, despite working in a confined, hazardous space. The septic tank, which had remained sealed for construction purposes, had likely developed dangerously low oxygen levels, turning it into a lethal trap.
The local police launched a preliminary investigation into the incident. Officials said a detailed probe was underway, and appropriate action will be taken based on the post-mortem and forensic examination reports.
