4 workers found dead in hotel basement, cops cite suffocation

LUCKNOW: Four labourers were found dead inside a glass cabin in the basement of Hotel Ranjees in Vibhuti Khand area here on Saturday morning. Initial police probe suggests they suffocated to death during sleep, due to burning coal placed in the room to keep it warm.

Based on the complaints lodged by the family members of the deceased, police registered an FIR against the hotel owner and manager for causing death due to negligence.

Officials of the labour department also reached the spot to take stock of the situation and are likely to take action under the Labour Act. Additional superintendent of police (ASP), north, Anurag Vats said the deceased were identified as Nihal Ahmad, Mohd Shahid, Raj Kumar and Ram Naresh. All worked for the same hotel. “A team of forensic experts was called to examine the situation and the video footage of CCTV cameras was also examined thoroughly,” he said.

Vats said the footage showed one of the deceased taking burning coal in an iron vessel at around 11.30pm. “The vessel was found inside the glass cabin where the labourers were found dead. The forensic experts suggested they may have suffocated due to formation of carbon monoxide inside the closed cabin. The experts said the labourers would not have been able to figure out the risk as they were sleeping,” said the ASP.

Meanwhile, station officer Vibhuti Khand, Satyendra Rai, said the victims’ families were making different allegations against the hotel management. He said the kin of three victims had submitted written complaints of murder, while one had submitted a complaint of causing death due to negligence.

Rai said after autopsy examination, the bodies were handed over to the families. “The postmortem examination report is awaited. Further action will be taken accordingly.”