Overview

• The tragedy unfolded in Nawada village, Garhwa district, on August 15, 2025, when four men descended into a septic tank for cleaning and construction work.
• Victims were identified as Ajay Chaudhary (50), Chandrashekhar Chaudhary (42), and Raju Shekhar Chaudhary (55)—who were brothers—and labourer Maltu Ram.
• A labourer entered the tank first and did not return, prompting each brother to enter in turn and similarly become trapped.
• Police said the men suffocated after inhaling toxic gases released upon opening the tank’s shuttering, and nearby villagers retrieved the bodies.
• A team led by the Palamu Range DIG has been appointed to investigate the cause, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem at Garhwa Sadar Hospital.