Three sanitation wokers died due to suffocation while cleaning a ballast tank inside a barge docked at the Old Port in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Wednesday. According to investigators, the men collapsed after inhaling toxic gases that had accumulated in the lower section of the vessel. The barge, said to be owned by Muktha Infra, had been docked to load construction materials for shipment to Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The deceased were identified as Sandeep Kumar (25) of Rajasthan, Jenison Thomas (35) of Thoothukudi and Siron George (23) of Tirunelveli, as per a report on NDTV.
Villagers Stage Protest, Demand Rs 4 Cr Ex Gratia
The barge mishap in Thoothukudi has triggered widespread outrage in coastal communities such as Punnakayal, Alandhalai, Manappadu, and Uvari. Residents staged protests demanding justice, while local representatives submitted a petition to the District Superintendent of Police, urging that murder charges be filed against the barge owner, captain, and other responsible officials.
Grief-stricken families of the victims have also refused to accept the bodies, insisting on a compensation of Rs 4 crore per worker—amounting to Rs 12 crore in total. They accused the company of gross negligence, saying the workers were sent into life-threatening conditions without even basic protective gear.
‘No Precautionary Measure In Place’
Investigators later confirmed that poisonous gas had built up inside the ballast tank due to stagnant water. While the compartment had been opened for ventilation, workers were reportedly made to enter without safety equipment. Officials noted that no precautionary measures were in place, raising serious concerns about adherence to occupational safety standards.
The bodies of the victims were shifted to the Thoothukudi Government Hospital for post-mortem. Police, led by Deputy Superintendent Madan of the Central Police Station, have launched a probe, though no arrests had been made until Thursday.
