Three Contract Workers Die After Inhaling Toxic Gas at Tata Electronics Plant in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Three contract workers died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a wastewater storage tank at a Tata Electronics plant in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. The incident occurred around 5.10 pm on Monday at the company’s Marigold factory near Ullukurukkai village. The deceased have been identified as Sarathi Kumar (25), Akmal Babu Bhai (28) and Kaveri (31), all from Dharmapuri district. They had been employed through a contractor, Nelco. Akmal opened the lid of the factory’s NF tank to inspect it and immediately fell inside after inhaling toxic gas. Sarathi Kumar was affected while attempting to rescue him. Kaveri, who had alerted the safety team and then joined the rescue effort, was also caught in the incident. All three were pulled out and rushed to a private hospital in Hosur, but their lives could not be saved. Rayakottai police have registered a case and launched an investigation. The bodies have been shifted to Krishnagiri Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examinations. Allegations have emerged that violations of safety standards for cleaning hazardous waste tanks in industrial facilities led to the tragedy. Criticism has also been directed at the management and contractor over their alleged failure to provide adequate safety equipment or conduct toxic gas tests before exposing workers to the dangerous conditions.