A routine maintenance operation at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Surat took a grim turn on Sunday when four workers died after allegedly being exposed to toxic gas fumes inside a septic tank, the police said. According to police, a probe is underway into potential safety violations and negligence.

The incident transpired in the Ashwini Kumar area of Surat, where a septic tank used for collecting waste generated during the jewellery cleaning process was being cleaned up as part of a scheduled maintenance exercise.

A picture of the facility where the mishap occurred

Police officials aware of the incident said that according to preliminary findings, the mandatory safety protocols may not have been adhered to, raising concerns about worker protection during hazardous cleaning operations.

Workers collapse after entering tank

The investigating police personnel learnt that the septic tank was cleaned once every two months. On Sunday, a supervisor and three labourers entered the tank to carry out the cleaning work. However, moments after this, all four of them collapsed due to the presence of poisonous gases which had accumulated inside.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1), Alok Kumar said the workers appeared to have succumbed to asphyxiation caused by toxic fumes, although the exact reason behind the death will be learnt after the post-mortem examinations.

Safety equipment missing

The most concerning aspect which emerged during the preliminary probe was the apparent absence of safety gear. Police said the supervisor had notified the fire department before entering the tank.

Despite this, initial reports suggest that none of the four victims was equipped with the protective gear, typically required for operations in confined and potentially hazardous spaces. Notably, equipment such as safety harnesses, breathing apparatus and gas detection equipment are generally considered essential before proceeding for such work, particularly where toxic gases are expected to accumulate.

Rescue efforts fail to save workers

Following the emergency alert, fire brigade teams rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation immediately. The workers were pulled out and were rushed to a nearby hospital, but were declared dead upon arrival.

Authorities have now begun examining CCTV footage, recording statements of witnesses and gathering other evidence to piece together the sequence of events.

Negligence angle too being probed

As of now, the police have registered a case of accidental death, but have not ruled out the possibility of criminal negligence. DCP Kumar said the cops would assess what safety measures should have been implemented and compare them with the procedures which had actually been followed during the operation.