Hosur: Three contract workers died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a wastewater storage tank at a Tata Electronics facility near Hosur in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district on Monday evening (November 9).
The incident took place at around 5.10 pm at the company’s Marigold factory near Ullukurukkai village. The workers were reportedly cleaning a wastewater storage tank known as the Nano Filter (NF) Tank, which receives wastewater discharged from another unit at the facility.
The deceased have been identified as Sarathi Kumar (25), Akmal Babu Bhai (28) and Kaveri (31). All three were contract workers employed through a contractor and hailed from different villages in Dharmapuri district.
Workers Collapsed While Trying to Rescue Colleague
According to the police, Akmal first climbed onto the tank and opened its lid to inspect it. He was reportedly overcome by toxic gas and fell inside.
Sarathi Kumar then attempted to rescue him but was also affected by the gas and collapsed. Kaveri subsequently tried to help the two workers but also lost consciousness and fell into the tank.
A fourth member of the maintenance team raised the alarm. The factory’s safety team rescued the three workers and took them to the occupational health centre on the premises, where they received first aid.
They were later shifted by ambulance to a private hospital in Hosur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Their bodies were sent to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri for post-mortem examinations.
Probe Ordered, Tata and Apple Also Investigating
Police officials visited the site and launched an investigation. The district administration is also examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The exact cause of death is expected to be established through the post-mortem findings.
The incident has raised questions about safety arrangements during maintenance work involving industrial wastewater tanks. A district official reportedly flagged the absence of adequate safety measures during the operation.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana expressed condolences to the families and said the incident would be thoroughly investigated. She said the district administration had been directed to provide necessary assistance to the affected families and that appropriate action would follow the findings.
Tata Electronics and Apple have also initiated investigations into the incident. The factory was closed for the Deepavali holiday when the accident occurred, and production was not affected, according to reports.