New Delhi: Three contract workers died following suspected toxic gas exposure while maintaining a wastewater tank at Tata Electronics’ factory near Hosur in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district on Monday evening. Authorities have ordered a detailed safety inquiry and directed the company to explain the circumstances of the Monday accident and steps to prevent a recurrence.
The incident occurred around 5.10pm at the Marigold facility near Uddanapalli. The deceased were identified as B Akmal, 28, M Sarathikumar, 25, and P Kaveri, reported as 32 by the New Indian Express. All belonged to Dharmapuri district.
How the accident unfolded
Four workers were engaged in maintenance and cleaning work at a nano-filtration tank at the factory’s effluent treatment plant, which processes industrial wastewater. Akmal reportedly looked inside, inhaled suspected toxic fumes, lost consciousness and fell into the tank, Krishnagiri collector C Dinesh Kumar told reporters.
After Akmal collapsed, Kaveri reportedly asked Sarathikumar to check on him, but he too was overcome by suspected toxic fumes. Kaveri then entered the tank to help the two workers and also collapsed, while the fourth member of the maintenance team raised the alarm.
Emergency personnel retrieved the three and took them to a private hospital in Hosur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Their bodies were sent to Krishnagiri government medical college hospital for postmortem examinations to determine the cause of death.
Safety inspections ordered
Krishnagiri collector, C Dinesh Kumar, said the workers were employed through a subcontractor engaged by Nalco Water to maintain the treatment plant. “There were no proper safety measures in place while handling the ETP,” he told reporters, confirming that the district administration was investigating the incident.
The district collector, senior police officers and officials from the directorate of industrial safety and health visited the factory following the deaths.
Tamil Nadu’s directorate of industrial safety and health and pollution control board are examining workplace safety arrangements, including gas monitoring, protective equipment and emergency rescue procedures. The specific gas involved in the incident has not yet been confirmed.
The district administration has ordered Tata Electronics to submit a detailed action taken report setting out possible shortcomings, corrective measures and a prevention plan. The wastewater treatment plant cannot restart until authorities verify safety compliance; the administration has not ordered closure of the entire factory.
Tamil Nadu industries minister, Virudhai Magal Keerthana, expressed condolences over the deaths and said she had directed the district administration to extend all necessary support to the affected families. “The safety and dignity of every worker must remain paramount,” she wrote on X, assuring a thorough investigation and appropriate action based on its findings.
Apple and Tata Electronics are also expected to examine the incident, Reuters reported. Tata Electronics had not responded to the news agency’s request for comment.
The facility manufactures components for Apple’s iPhones, separately from an assembly plant in the same complex. Production was reportedly unaffected because the site was closed for Diwali, but investigators are focusing on the maintenance operation and its safety arrangements.