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Indore, March 3 (IANS) A day after two sanitation workers died due to asphyxiation caused by toxic gas while cleaning a sewerage chamber in Indore, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each for their families.

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav on Tuesday informed that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has approved financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh to the next of kin of both deceased workers.

“In response to the tragic incident near Choithram Hospital gate, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has approved a compensation amount of Rs 30 lakh for each victim’s family,” Bhargav wrote in a post on X.

The incident occurred in front of the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Fruit and Vegetable Market, where the two sanitation workers of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) were engaged in cleaning a sewerage chamber.

According to police, the mishap took place when a pipe attached to a sewer suction machine broke during the cleaning operation. One of the workers fell unconscious after being exposed to toxic gas inside the chamber. Another municipal worker who entered the chamber to rescue him also collapsed due to the toxic fumes.

Police officials said both workers died of asphyxiation caused by the poisonous gases present inside the sewer line. Their bodies were later retrieved with the assistance of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

Deputy Commissioner of Police Shrikrishna Lalchandani told the media late Monday night that the deceased have been identified as Karan Yadav and Ajay Dodi.

An eyewitness, Amit Rajak, alleged that the two workers had entered the sewer chamber without proper safety equipment.

He further claimed that police personnel, municipal officials, and ambulances did not reach the spot for nearly two hours after the incident.

Local passersby reportedly attempted to rescue the workers by pulling them out of the chamber before emergency teams arrived.

--IANS

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