3 labourers die of asphyxiation in sewer at Sonepat’s TDI City
Victims had gone to remove blockage; seven, including TDI Group chairman, booked
ROHTAK Three labourers cleaning a sewer at TDI City in Kundli area of Sonepat died of asphyxiation on Monday. They have been identified as Rampal of Uttar Pradesh and Shabir and Salman of Sonepat’s Rasoi and Nangal Kalan village respectively. They worked at the TDI.
Sources said a contractor at the TDI had sent Salman in the sewer to unclog a blockage without any safety gear. While he was coming up, he fainted after inhaling poisonous gases. Seeing him faint, Shabir and Rampal tried to rescue him, but faced the same fate.
The sources said when other labourers cried for help to rescue the three victims, none among the TDI security responded. The victims’ families were informed, who reached the spot and pulled the three out after more than two hours. The three had died till then.
KIN BLOCK NH-1
Angry family members blocked the National Highway-1 after keeping the bodies of Salman and Shabir on the road for around two hours. It lead to traffic jam. Sonepat additional superintendent of police DK Bhardwaj and deputy SP Rahul Dev reached the spot and tried to pacify them, assuring them of action, but to no avail.
Police had to use minor force to remove the blockade and shift the bodies to the civil hospital for postmortem. “I have been told that since no one came for help, Salman’s uncle Shehraj pulled the bodies out after two hours. Till then, all three had died,” Bhardwaj said, adding that an inquiry has been instituted to find if they were sent down the sewer without any safety gear.
The police said they have registered a case against seven people, including TDI group chairman DN Taneja and vice-chairman Ravinder Taneja, under Sections 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.