Mumbai: Three workers killed while cleaning septic tank in Kandivli

The incident took place in gully no. 9 of Ekta Nagar, Kandivli West, on Thursday

Three contract labourers died while cleaning a septic tank of a newly opened public toilet in Kandivli West on Thursday. The assistant commissioner said toxic gas from the tank could have caused the deaths, and that the incident will be probed.

"The toilet is surrounded by slums and people had been complaining that the septic tank was stinking. Someone from a community-based organisation called an agency to inspect the issue. The agency sent three labourers, who opened the lid and one worker bent down to check. As per an eyewitness, he slipped into the tank and the other labourers fell down while helping him," said Kamlesh Yadav, a former local corporator.

The incident occurred around 12.30 pm in gully no. 9 of Ekta Nagar, near Jankalyan Nagar nullah. The Fire Brigade received a call at 1.15 pm and a team rushed to the spot, and pulled out the workers. All three of them were declared brought dead at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli.

Sandhya Nandedkar, the assistant commissioner of R-South ward, said, "The toxic gas from the septic tank may have caused the incident. We will conduct an inquiry and take action against the organisation."

A local resident said, "The coordinator from the agency ran away after the incident and his phone number is not reachable. So the identity of the labourers is also not known."

The toilet, with 48-seat capacity, was opened on September 25, 2021. As is the case with many toilets, this one is not connected to a sewage line. This is not the first such incident, as during the pre-pandemic time, several labourers had lost their lives because of toxic gas from the septic tank. Many NGOs had raised the issue and pointed out the absence of safety measures.