Jaipur, March 13 (IANS) A tragic industrial accident claimed the lives of three workers on Friday at a private textile factory in the RIICO industrial area of Balotra, triggering chaos outside the district hospital as grieving family members gathered in large numbers.

The incident occurred at a factory located in Phase III of the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) industrial area, where cleaning work was underway in a sludge tank.

According to initial reports, three workers had entered the tank to carry out the cleaning operation when their health suddenly deteriorated. Officials suspect the workers inhaled toxic gases trapped inside the tank, causing them to lose consciousness.

Co-workers immediately pulled them out and rushed them to Nahata District Hospital, where doctors declared all three dead after examination.

The deceased have been identified as Gumanaram (30), Shravan (25) and Vishambhar (54), all of whom were engaged in cleaning work at the factory.

The news of the deaths quickly spread across the area, prompting a large number of family members and locals to gather at the hospital.

The atmosphere turned tense as grieving relatives demanded answers, leading to a road blockade outside the hospital mortuary.

Senior administrative and police officials rushed to the hospital to control the situation.

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) reached the spot and began collecting details about the sequence of events.

The police have shifted the bodies to the mortuary for post-mortem examination and initiated an investigation into the incident.

Preliminary findings suggest the workers may have suffocated after inhaling toxic gases while inside the tank. Authorities are also expected to examine whether proper safety measures were in place during the cleaning operation at the factory.

The accident has once again raised concerns over industrial safety practices in factories operating across the region.

–IANS

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