2 of 5 who fell ill after inhaling toxic gas at STP succumb

| | New Delhi

Two of five victims who were struggling for life after they inhaled toxic gases while checking a sewage treatment plant (STP) at the Taj Vivanta Hotel near Khan Market on Sunday died on Tuesday.

According to police, Ravinder, 40, the STP operator, and Vikram, 26, contractual security guard of the hotel, died at Moolchand Hospital. The condition of the three others — Nityanand (51), plumbing staff at the hotel, Kamdev Patra (58), who works as a contractual maintenance staff employee of Eco Pollutech Engineers, and Gaurav Sukheja (34), deputy chief engineer of the hotel — is stable.

“The incident was reported on April 29 when Ravinder had been called in to fix a leak at the STP, and others had followed him inside the pit after hearing his cries for help. The men were found frothing at the mouth when rescuers reached them,” a senior police officer said, “

All the five men were not wearing safety gear when they trapped inside the plant and inhaled poisonous gas, police had said.

A case under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide punishable with a maximum term of seven years and fine) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against officials of Eco Pollutech Engineers and the hotel in connection with the incident.

Following the death of two victims, Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder, punishable with a maximum term of 10 years and fine) of the Indian Penal Code will be added to the FIR, DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma.

“We have questioned the staff and are questioning one of the injured. His statement is being recorded,” Verma added.

Police said that they are still probing the incident. “We are yet to question the Eco Pollutech engineers. The investigation is at a nascent stage.”

Ravinder’s family said he was recruited around two years ago by the hotel and used to work as an STP operator. Earlier, he was employed at the petrol pump in Rashtrapati Bhavan before it closed down. “My father sat at home for one year ever since he lost his job. He used to be silent most of the time,” said Shilpa, Ravinder’s elder daughter.