The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the tragic incident in Odisha's Kalahandi district, where six people died due to alleged suffocation after inhaling toxic gas inside a septic tank under construction on May 26. The commission has issued notices to the Odisha chief secretary and the Kalahandi superintendent of police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
Incident Details
The incident occurred at Gaud Karlakhunta village, where six individuals, including house owner Nimai Pal (40) and his son Akash (20), lost their lives while attempting to remove centring materials from a 10-feet-deep septic tank. According to police, five workers were initially engaged in the task.
Preliminary findings reveal that the tragedy began when a mason entered the tank and failed to respond. Subsequently, others entered one after another in a bid to rescue him but collapsed due to toxic fumes. Only one worker, identified as Pankaj Jani, was rescued alive, though he was found unconscious and rushed to the district headquarters hospital.
Victims Identified
The deceased workers have been identified as Adal Majhi (45) from Gaud Karlakhunta village; Baikhuntha Jal (35) and Chanda Jal (25), both from Salepali; and Manoranjan Hatti (34) from Motaganda. House owner Nimai Pal and his son Akash were also among the deceased.
Kalahandi SP Nagaraj Deverakonda stated, "Seven people were found unconscious inside the tank after inhaling poisonous gas. Six of them were later declared dead."
Sequence of Events
Police explained that the workers had first created an opening in the tank, and two of them entered to dismantle the centring. When they did not respond, others followed in succession. Villagers attempted to rescue those trapped and informed the fire service. Fire personnel later broke open the concrete slab and retrieved all seven victims from the tank.
NHRC Action
The NHRC has sought a comprehensive report covering the status of the investigation, the condition of the lone survivor, and details of compensation paid to the victims' families. The commission has given a two-week deadline for submission of the report.
This incident highlights the dangers of working in confined spaces without proper safety measures. The NHRC's intervention aims to ensure accountability and prevent such tragedies in the future.
