Three people died and another was injured on Friday morning after they accidentally fell into a septic tank while cleaning it in Goraimari area of Assam’s Goalpara district, police said.
Officers said the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. when the property owner, Josok Rabha (40), along with two workers and a relative, were cleaning an old septic tank.
The four were trapped inside the tank and were rescued by locals, Goalpara Additional Superintendent of Police Headquarters Bidyut Vikas Bora Bhuiyan said.
“All four were transferred to Goalpara Civil Hospital, where doctors declared three of them, including Josok, dead on arrival, while the third is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit in critical condition,” he added.
Police identified the deceased workers as Krishna Roy (28 years old) and Dilip Das (28 years old). A member of the Josok family, Bajpayee Rabha (25), is undergoing treatment.
“Gusuk was the owner of the property, while Krishna and Dilip came from Goalpara town area. According to the preliminary investigation, it appears to be an accident, but the exact cause of death will be ascertained once all medical reports are received,” he added.
The police are conducting additional investigations into the matter, and are interviewing eyewitnesses to determine the circumstances that led to the accident.
One of the investigating officers said: “They probably died due to suffocation and lack of oxygen, because the tank was deep. Local residents claim there was poisonous gas inside it, and we will investigate this aspect as well.”
