Surat, June 7 (IANS) Four workers died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas while cleaning an underground effluent treatment tank at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Surat, Gujarat, on Sunday, with preliminary investigations indicating that safety protocols may not have been followed.

The incident occurred at a jewellery cleaning factory in the Ashwini Kumar area of the city, where waste generated during the cleaning process is collected in an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) tank for treatment and disposal.

According to police, the tank undergoes routine cleaning and maintenance every two months.

On Sunday morning, three labourers and a company supervisor entered the underground tank as part of the scheduled cleaning operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Alok Kumar said the workers collapsed inside the confined space after being exposed to poisonous gas.

“In Surat city, there is a jewellery cleaning factory. The waste generated after the cleaning process is collected in a tank. This tank is cleaned regularly. On this occasion, three labourers and one company supervisor went to clean the tank. During the cleaning operation, one of the labourers fell into the tank,” Kumar told IANS.

The officer said all four men succumbed at the site. “While asphyxiation appears to be the likely cause of death, the exact cause will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination,” he said.

The Surat Fire and Emergency Services received a distress call at approximately 10:22 a.m.

Divisional Fire Officer Ranjit Singh Khadia said the initial information suggested that a single person had fallen into a tank.

“We received the call, and the information was that a person had fallen into a tank. However, after reaching the location, we found that it was an industrial unit. Instead of one person, four people were inside. The unit has an ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant), which is used to treat the raw material waste,” Khadia said.

Fire brigade personnel launched a rescue operation and removed the four men from the tank. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Police said the supervisor had contacted the fire department before entering the tank.

However, preliminary findings suggest that none of the workers had been provided with safety gear or protective equipment while carrying out the hazardous maintenance work.

The absence of protective equipment and compliance with mandatory confined-space safety procedures are among the issues being examined by investigators.

“We are examining whose negligence led to the incident, as preliminary investigations indicate that safety protocols were not followed. Nevertheless, we will conduct a detailed investigation into the matter,” Kumar said.

Police have registered a case of accidental death and launched an inquiry to determine whether negligence contributed to the tragedy.

Investigators will review CCTV footage and other evidence to establish what safety measures should have been in place and whether they were implemented.

“As of now, we are registering a case of accidental death. We will analyse what safety protocols should have been in place and compare them with what was actually implemented before fixing responsibility,” Kumar said.

Further action will be taken after the completion of the investigation and receipt of the postmortem reports.

–IANS

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