Toxic chem fumes kill 2 workers during drain cleaning operation in Navi Mumbai

NAVI MUMBAI: Two workers died due to suffocation caused by toxic chemical fumes while cleaning a blocked drain chamber near Profab engineers Pvt Ltd in Rabale MIDC on Saturday.
The site supervisor, Dattatray Girdhari, assigned by MIDC was arrested, on Sunday, for negligence causing the death of the workers. The site supervisor had not provide them with gas masks and other protective gear. The three workers fell unconscious due to suffocation inside the chamber reportedly due to the chemical gases generated within the chamber.
Several chemical companies have allegedly been discharging the chemical waste in the drain. The three workers were rushed to NMMC hospital in Vashi, where two of them succumbed during treatment. However, Girdhari has been released on bail by the Vashi JMFC court.
Sudhir Patil, senior police inspector of Rabale MIDC informed that the deceased workers have been identified as Vijay Haudsa (29) and Sandeep Hambe (35),while the third worker Sonot Haudsa (30) is recuperating at NMMC hospital in Vashi.
The drainage chamber near Profab company was blocked due to accumulation of sludge, the MIDC administration had assigned the cleaning work to the contractor namely Bitcon Of India. Girdhari took four workers to clean the chamber. While, three workers entered the drainage chamber through the manhole, the fourth worker Murtuza Shaikh (30) stood outside to provide them tools for cleaning.
Due to the lack of protective gear the workers complained of suffocation due to stench and soon fell unconscious. Girdhari summoned the MIDC fire brigade rescue team to pull the workers out.