HT Bureau
GOALPARA, May 29: Three persons were killed and another critically injured after inhaling suspected poisonous gas inside a septic tank at Goraimari village under Agia Police Station in Goalpara district on Friday.
According to police, the incident occurred while a septic tank, constructed several months ago and kept sealed with an RCC cover, was being cleaned.
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An army jawan on leave, Josek Rabha, had engaged mason Krishna Roy and labourer Dilip Das to remove bamboo materials left inside the tank.
As Dilip Das entered the tank, he reportedly experienced breathing difficulties and collapsed.
In an attempt to rescue him, Krishna Roy entered the tank but also lost consciousness within moments.
Seeing the two men collapse, Josek Rabha climbed into the tank to save them.
However, he too succumbed to the suspected toxic fumes. Rabha’s cousin, Bajpayee Rabha, also entered the tank during the rescue attempt and fell unconscious.
Local residents rushed to the spot, rescued the victims and took them to hospital.
Doctors later declared Josek Rabha, Krishna Roy and Dilip Das dead.
Bajpayee Rabha was admitted to the intensive care unit and remains in critical condition.
Goalpara West Co-District Superintendent of Police Abhilash Barua said the septic tank had remained closed for over three months and the victims are suspected to have inhaled poisonous gas accumulated inside it.
“The tank was closed for more than three months. As soon as one person entered, he fainted. Others entered in an attempt to rescue him and met the same fate,” Barua said.
The bodies were sent to the SNRR Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination in the presence of a magistrate and police officials.
The post-mortem report is awaited. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
