Overview

• Three sanitation workers and a passerby suffocated while removing the central slab of a 10×10 ft septic tank in Padalguda village, Nabarangpur district
• Witnesses said none of the workers or the rescuer had safety equipment or oxygen support before entering the confined space
• Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved Rs 4 lakh compensation to each bereaved family from the state relief fund
• Police have launched a forensic investigation to determine the precise cause of death and identify the toxic gases involved
• The incident underscores ongoing risks for sewer and septic tank workers, with 453 fatalities since 2018 prompting the NAMASTE mechanisation programme