Three workers died while cleaning an unused petrol tank at a Hindustan Petroleum Limited Company (HPCL) outlet in Rayachoti, Andhra Pradesh. The workers were hired to clean the petrol tank, which had been unused for some time. One of the workers accidentally fell into the tank and the other two men jumped in to try to save him. The deceased were identified as Ravi, Shiva, and Anand from the Pendlimarri mandal in YSR Kadapa district. The three of them were hired to clean an empty petrol tank about 20 feet deep in a fuel station located on the national highway. According to the police, one of the workers slipped into the tank while observing the tank from above. The other two jumped into the tank to save their co-worker but they too got trapped in the tank.
The police believe that the three men inhaled poisonous gases which resulted in their death. The fire brigade and police worked hard to pull Ravi out but he did not survive. The police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
This is not the first instance of workers dying while cleaning tanks. On May 18, three workers died of asphyxiation while cleaning an underground water tank in Pedda Kondamaari village in Chittoor district. The victims might have died from breathing poisonous gases released from the highly contaminated water in the tank.
