Mumbai: One by one, they went to save the other

Mishap in sewage treatment plant in Virar claims four lives; police officer explains how disaster struck

Four labourers lost their lives in quick succession after entering a sewage treatment plant at Virar West on Tuesday morning. According to the police, they drowned after losing consciousness due to the inhalation of poisonous gases.

The police said the first labourer, Nikhil Ghatale, 24, entered the plant to carry out a cleaning operation around 6 am. As he did not return after 15 minutes, his 27-year-old brother, Amol, also a labourer, was sent by the contractor to take a look. When neither returned, the contractor sent in Shubham Parkar, 28, around 6.20 am. Ten minutes later, when all three failed to surface, a fourth person, Sagar Tendulkar, 29, was tasked with seeing what had happened.

After not hearing from Tendulkar, the contractor finally realised that something was amiss and began shouting out. However, no one responded. He then informed the police and fire brigade.

The sewage treatment plant at Virar, which is said to be 25-30 feet deep; (right) The bodies being taken away from the site on Tuesday. Pics/Hanif Patel

The fire brigade rushed to the spot and brought all four bodies out.

“All the labourers, who resided in Virar and worked at Global City, went inside on the instructions of the contractor,” a police officer said.

The sewage treatment plant is said to be 25-30 feet deep.

What police believe

A police officer said, “We believe that inside the sewage treatment plant, poisonous gases such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide were created, depending on various factors such as temperature, composition, performance and time. After inhaling these poisonous gases, the labourers fell unconscious and drowned in the water.”

An officer attached to Arnala police station said, “We have registered an accidental death report and we are in the process of filing an FIR against the contractor for negligence. All the bodies have been retrieved from the sewage treatment plant. 

Two of the deceased are brothers, and the others are their relatives.”

6 am
Time when first labourer entered plant

30 ft
Approx depth of plant

What is a sewage treatment plant?

A sewage treatment plant is a facility that aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent suitable for discharge into the surrounding environment or for intended reuse applications, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharge.

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