Two construction workers died after being inhaling to toxic gas inside a septic tank at a house under construction in Raozan upazila of Chattogram on Friday afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Pradip Das, from Kuchukhain area of Raozan, and Samiran Das of Kadurkhil area under Boalkhali upazila.
The incident took place around 12:30pm in the Jhikuti Para area of Noapara union.
Locals said Pradip Das, who is the son-in-law of the house owner Ratan Doctor, first entered the septic tank to work.
He reportedly fell unconscious shortly after entering the tank, having been exposed to toxic gas accumulated inside the long-unused tank.
Samiran Das then went down in an attempt to rescue him but also fell unconscious. Both men remained trapped and unconscious inside the tank.
Fire service personnel from Raozan station rushed to the spot, rescued the victims and took them to hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Officer-in-Charge of Raozan Police Station Saiful Islam confirmed the incident.
Fire Service officials suspect that the deaths were caused by toxic gas accumulation inside the sealed septic tank.
Locals said panic spread in the area following the incident, while initial confusion over the nature of the accident caused a brief delay in rescue efforts before Fire Service teams brought the situation under control.
Later in the afternoon, the body of Pradip Das was taken to his in-laws’ residence in Jhikuti Para, where grieving relatives mourned his death.
