Odisha Septic Tank Tragedy: 4 Dead After Inhaling Toxic Gas, Including Passerby

New Delhi: In a tragic incident in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, three sanitation workers and a passerby lost their lives due to suffocation inside a septic tank after inhaling toxic gases on Tuesday. The accident occurred in Padalguda village, Nandahandi block, while workers were attempting to remove the central slab of a newly constructed 10×10 ft tank.

Passerby Dies Trying to Save the Workers

According to local residents, two workers began choking immediately after entering the tank. A third worker went in to help but also started suffocating. Hearing their cries, a passerby jumped in to rescue them, but he too succumbed to the fumes.

Fire department personnel, alerted by locals, managed to pull all four out of the tank. The three workers were declared dead at the Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital, while the passerby, who was admitted to the ICU, later died during treatment.

No Safety Equipment, No Oxygen Support

Eyewitnesses said the workers entered the tank without any protective gear or oxygen support. 

A police official stated, “We have begun an investigation. Forensic and post-mortem reports will confirm the cause of death and identify the nature of the gases inhaled.”

The central government launched the NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) programme in 2023–24 to replace manual work with mechanised systems. 

It replaced the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, with the aim to prevent deaths and injuries during sanitation work.