2 die of suffocation while cleaning oil tank in Pundri

Kaithal, June 7

In a tragic incident, two men died of asphyxiation allegedly while cleaning an oil tank in an oil mill in Pundri on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Pawan Saini (32) of Pundri and Jaswant (42) of Barsana in Kaithal district.

The incident took place around 9:30 am when both entered the oil tank to clean it. Shortly after, Jaswant died of suffocation on the spot, while Pawan was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead, said Sub-Inspector Raj Kumar, SHO Pundri.

Pawan’s family members alleged that experts initially called to clean the tank refused to do so due to the presence of a dangerous gas inside. Sushil Kumar, a family member of Pawan, said that both Pawan and Jaswant had also refused to enter the tank after the experts declined. “We demand the arrest of the mill owners and will not lift the bodies until their arrest,” he said.

After receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot and pacified the family members. The SHO assured them that justice would be ensured.

On the complaint of the family members, the police have registered a case against the mill owners, Rajnish and Sandeep, under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code, said Raj. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Sanju, Pawan’s cousin, mentioned that he was married in 2007 and is survived by his wife and three daughters.