Two die cleaning chemical tank without safety gear in Gr Noida

Greater Noida: Two labourers were killed after they were forced to enter into a chemical tank for cleaning Site-V of Kasna area in Greater Noida on Tuesday night. Police have registered a case against the factory owner and labour contractor for allegedly putting them into the tank without providing safety gears.

The incident took place at Jagdamba petrochemical factory at around 9:30 pm when the two labourers Rambheesh and Pankaj were forced to enter into the tank. Other labourers alleged that they were not provided with any safety equipments and mask before entering.

"Even after both the labourers denied to enter into the tank, the labour contractor Hemant and factory owner Surendra Gupta lured them and forcefully put them to enter into the tank. They went inside without any safety gear and In no time they stopped responding from inside," said Ramesh, a labourer.

According to police, both the labourers died due to suffocation from the poisonous gas. "Following the information, police reached the spot and they were taken out and rushed to a hospital where both were declared brought dead by the doctor," said Vishal Pandey, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

Police said that another labour Ravindra also entered into the tank trying to save the two victims but as soon as he landed, his condition started deteriorating due to poisonous gas. It was fortunate that Ravindra was pulled out of the tank in time and his life was saved.

Meanwhile, police have registered a case against labour contractor and factory owner in connection with the incident. "Based on the complaint from victim's relatives, police have registered a case against the factory owner Surendra Gupta and contractor Hemant. Both the bodies have been sent for post-mortem while efforts are on to arrest the accused," Pandey added.

Similar incidents have reported on past as well where lack of safety gears with labourers who enters into tanks for cleaning have lost their lives. In August 2019, Five labourers including their contractor, were suffocated to death inside a sewer which was being dug up to connect with the main line in Krishna Kunj colony in Nand Gram area under Sihani gate police station jurisdiction of Ghaziabad. Cops said that the labourers went inside the sewer one by one to save each other but got suffocated and trapped inside.