Bhubaneswar: Two labourers died of suspected asphyxiation while working inside a septic tank at Laxmi Chhak in Khariar town of Nuapada district on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Basudev Bhoi and Raghumani Hati, both residents of the local area.
According to Govind Sahu, the owner of the house where the incident occurred, Basudev entered the septic tank through a hole to remove a false ceiling but soon lost consciousness inside. When there was no response from him, Raghumani entered the tank to rescue his colleague but also became unconscious.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and successfully retrieved both men from the septic tank. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared them dead.
Khariar police inspector in charge (IIC) Dillip Kumar Sahu confirmed that the bodies have been seized and a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Monday.
