Three labourers die of asphyxiation in Surat, Gujarat

Surat, Jan 22 (ANI): In a tragic incident, three labourers died of asphyxiation while sleeping in an ornaments factory godown in Surat on Sunday.

The labourers hailing from West Bengal died asleep when a utensil, filled with chemicals, fell after one of the workers accidentally hit the container, engulfing the godown with poisonous gas.

The incident came in limelight when the owner of the factory reached his factory in the morning and found the three labourers unconscious.

Fire fighters were rushed to the spot and with the help of residents the bodies of the labourers were brought out of the godown and rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared brought dead.

"About half an hour ago we received a call that three people are stranded inside a godown. When we reached the spot we found it to be a factory of gold ornaments where methyl and castor oil is mixed for preparing the ornaments. The chemical was kept in a utensil where the three labourers were sleeping. The chemical might have fallen out after being hit by one of the labourers in sleep and they became unconscious," said Jagdish Patel, a fire officer.

He further told mediapersons that the owner of the factory was guilty as it was illegal to store hazardous chemicals in residential area and allow workers to sleep in a godown of a factory.

The police are further investigating the matter. (ANI)