Four workers killed in Gujarat septic tank; toxic fumes, negligence suspected

Published 7 June 2026 · india

Four workers died after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a septic tank at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Gujarat's Surat city on Sunday, police

Four workers died after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a septic tank at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Gujarat's Surat city on Sunday, police said. Preliminary investigations suggest that safety protocols were not followed during the maintenance work. The incident took place in the Ashwini Kumar area, where a septic tank used to collect waste generated during the jewellery cleaning process was undergoing routine maintenance. According to police, the tank is cleaned once every two months. Read Full Story Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Alok Kumar said a supervisor and three labourers entered the tank on Sunday morning as part of the cleaning operation.

Soon after entering, all four collapsed, apparently due to the presence of poisonous gas inside the confined space. "While asphyxiation appears to be the likely cause of death, the exact cause will be confirmed after the postmortem examination," the officer said. THE WORKERS DID NOT HAVE SAFETY GEAR Police said the supervisor had contacted the fire department before entering the tank. However, preliminary findings indicate that none of the workers were equipped with the necessary safety gear or protective equipment while carrying out the operation. Following the alert, fire brigade personnel rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation.

The four workers were pulled out of the tank and taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether negligence contributed to the tragedy. Police said they would examine CCTV footage and other evidence to establish whether mandatory safety procedures were followed and who was responsible for any lapses. "As of now, we are registering a case of accidental death. We will analyse what safety protocols should have been in place and compare them with what was actually implemented before fixing responsibility," DCP Alok Kumar said.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns over worker safety during hazardous cleaning operations and the risks associated with entering confined spaces without proper protective equipment. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation and postmortem reports. Ends With inputs from Sanjay Singh J Rathod