At least four people died after allegedly becoming unconscious while cleaning an underground water tank at an unfinished house in the Kumarpara Joynagar area on the outskirts of Silchar in Assam’s Cachar district on Friday. According to police, the victims were rescued from the tank in an unconscious condition and rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
The deceased have been identified as Niloy Paul, 43, Champu Paul, 40, Debashis Paul, 41, and Nandan Paul, 53, all residents of the Kumarpara area.
Police said the preliminary assessment suggests that the victims may have died due to suffocation or lack of oxygen inside the confined space. But the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem examination.
According to local residents, Champu Paul, Debashis Paul and Nandan Paul were daily wage workers engaged by the property owner to clean the underground tank. One of the workers reportedly entered the tank first but stopped responding after some time. Two others then entered in an attempt to help him.
Hearing their cries for help, Niloy Paul reportedly went forward to assist them but also fell inside the tank. A joint rescue operation was subsequently launched by the police, State Disaster Response Force and officials from the District Disaster Management Authority. A team from the National Disaster Response Force also joined the rescue efforts, officials said.
Following the incident, local residents staged a protest, alleging that the workers had been sent inside the tank without adequate safety equipment or precautions. Police have registered a complaint and launched an investigation. The property owner, identified as Gautam Paul, has been detained in connection with the case.
Cachar district authorities are also preparing a detailed report on the incident. Officials said the report would be forwarded to the higher authorities to facilitate compensation for the victims’ families under applicable provisions. The tragedy has once again highlighted the serious risks faced by workers entering confined spaces such as underground tanks and wells, where oxygen levels can be dangerously low and toxic gases may accumulate.
Similar incidents have previously been reported in Assam’s Barak Valley, raising concerns over the need for proper safety protocols, protective equipment and supervision for workers engaged in such hazardous cleaning operations.