A 24-year-old worker from Odisha died after inhaling suspected toxic fumes while cleaning a sump water tank at an ethanol unit in Tiruvallur district on Monday night. Four others have been hospitalized.
Incident Details
Police identified the deceased as Dananth Jaya Malik, a resident of Odisha. He was employed at a private company located in the SIPCOT Industrial Estate at Thervoy Kandigai near Gummidipoondi. On Monday evening, Malik was engaged in routine maintenance work alongside co-workers Sagar Das, Subrath Kumar, Mano Rangan Das, all from Odisha, and supervisor P Mullai Vendhan. The team had been assigned to clean a sump water tank within the ethanol unit.
Sequence of Events
The workers entered the tank but began to faint one after another, allegedly after inhaling noxious fumes. According to police, water tanks in ethanol plants can contain residual waste, including chemical traces, which may release toxic gases in enclosed spaces. Supervisor Mullai Vendhan promptly pulled the workers out and rushed them to a private hospital in Manjankaranai. They were later referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for further treatment.
Casualty and Current Condition
Malik, who was in a critical condition, died on the way to the hospital. The health condition of the four others is reported to be stable. Authorities are investigating the incident to determine the exact cause of the toxic fume release.
