(Clockwise from top left) Vishal, Rohit, Ravi, Ravi GoldarFour sanitation workers died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a sewer pit at a private hospital in Faridabad Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The victims were identified as Rohit, his brother Ravi, Vishal and Ravi Goldar. Police said the men — all between 25 and 30 years of age — were from Sanjay Camp, Dakshinpuri in Delhi and had been working with Delhi-based company Santushti Allied Services, which provides cleaning services. According to police, the incident took place around 1 pm at QRG hospital in Sector 16, Faridabad.
Sube Singh, spokesperson, Faridabad police, said the hospital hired the company to clean its sewer, which was done every month. “Today afternoon, two workers first entered the sewer and fainted after inhaling a poisonous gas that had built up inside it. When they did not return, two more workers went in to rescue them after which they too fell unconscious. The workers suffocated to death and did not have any safety equipment. Some workers and hospital staff rushed to help them. Their bodies were retrieved from the manhole with help from the fire brigade. Though they were rushed to a hospital, they were declared dead on arrival,” said Singh.
Police said two staffers of the private hospital, Narender and Shahid, were also admitted to the ICU after they tried to rescue the victims.
A police officer said, “The sewer was at least 10-12 feet deep. On the complaint of the victims’ families, legal action shall be taken against the hospital and the firm which supplied the workers. The bodies have been kept at the mortuary of a civil hospital for post-mortem.”
Satish Kumar, supervisor, Santushti Allied Services, said, “The men had been working with us on a contract for four-five years. We have a contract for cleaning certain areas of the hospital. But our scope is limited to cleaning of drainage lines, pits and chambers, which are only 4-6 feet deep, and does not include the sewer. I do not know under what circumstances the workers were asked to go inside the sewer pit for cleaning. In the afternoon, we got a call informing us that the workers had died.”
Dr Mahinder Singh Tanwar, medical superintendent, QRG Hospital, Faridabad, said, “We are saddened by this unfortunate incident and the loss of four lives, and we stand by the families. QRG Hospital has a contract with a company for cleaning and maintenance of the sewer pit, which has been going on for a few years now. The company had the sole responsibility for the safety and security of the manpower deployed for this task and this is a practice adopted by most healthcare organisations…”
Safety gear not provided, allege kin
Vishal’s cousin brother, Ravi, said, “If my brother was provided safety equipment, this incident would not have occurred. Bina safety ke sewer mein bhejna, maut ka kuan mein bhejne jaisa hai… everyone knows there is gas in the pit. He had been working with the contractor for five-six months and got Rs 350-400 a day. I don’t know under what circumstances he agreed to enter the sewer pit without safety gear…”
Harikesh, brother-in-law of Rohit and Ravi, said, “Their lives have been cut short due to negligence of hospital authorities and the contractor. They should have provided them safety gear.. The brothers earned Rs 400-450 a day and got married last year…”