Surat: Three workers died from suspected asphyxiation and another remains in critical condition after they entered a water tank for cleaning at New Paras Dyeing Mill in Pandesara late on Thursday night. According to police, one worker initially entered the tank to clean accumulated waste. When he began to feel dizzy and lost consciousness, three other workers jumped inside to rescue him. However, they too were overcome by toxic fumes inside the confined space.The deceased were identified as Dipukumar Paswan alias Ankit (19), Sandipkumar Paswan (23), and Sonu Kamlesh Paswan (23). All three died at a private hospital in Dindoli. The fourth worker, Mahendra Paswan, is is reported to be in a serious condition.Police said the four workers, all residents of the Ganeshnagar area in Pandesara, had been hired from outside to clean the tank at the mill located in the Pandesara GIDC area. Water from the tank was first pumped out using an electric motor, after which the workers took turns entering the tank.During the cleaning process, toxic gas is suspected to have accumulated inside the tank, causing the workers to feel dizzy and lose consciousness.Maintenance staff of the mill rushed to the spot after learning about the incident and managed to pull the workers out of the tank after considerable effort. They were immediately shifted to a private hospital for treatment but three of them couldn’t survive.Sonu died late on Thursday night, while Dipukumar and Sandipkumar Paswan died on Friday.Pandesara police inspector JR Chaudhary said an accidental death case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Authorities are awaiting reports from the FSL and GPCB to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.
