Phulbani: In a shocking incident, the owner of an under-construction house and a labourer died due to suffocation while building a septic tank at Pitabari village under Phulbani town police limits in Kandhamal district Monday. The deceased house owner and labourer have been identified as Sanjay Pradhan and Santosh Kanhar.
According to a source, Sanjay, a retired military personnel, had been given a piece of land under government quota in Pitabari village. He was constructing a house on the plot and had decided to build the septic tank for the toilet Monday. He had engaged Santosh for the job.
While digging the chamber, Santosh suddenly lost consciousness and fell into the just-dug trench. Seeing Santosh in trouble, Sanjay climbed down into the hole only to lose his consciousness also.
Family members immediately informed the local fire station. A few minutes later firefighting personnel arrived at the spot. They rescued Sanjay and Santosh and rushed them to the district headquarters hospital here. However, it was too late by then. The doctors at the DHH pronounced them dead on arrival. They said both the victims had inhaled huge quantity of toxic gases. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem by the police.
PNN
