KATHMANDU, July 22: Two men died from oxygen deprivation after becoming trapped inside an underground water tank at a house under construction in Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City-6, Rajoura, Dang.
The deceased have been identified as 35-year-old Ghanshyam Giri and 36-year-old Kamal Giri, both residents of Sharda Municipality-15, Salyan. According to locals, one of the victims was a contractor while the other was a construction worker.
Four suffocate to death in septic tank
Police said rescue efforts were initially hampered because the oxygen level inside the tank was extremely low. After the two men were retrieved, they were taken to Tulsipur Hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Dr M. K. C., spokesperson for the Dang District Police Office, preliminary investigations indicate that the men had entered the underground water reservoir to remove support structures that had been installed for roof casting.
“An underground water tank had been constructed, and they entered it to remove the supports used during the roof slab casting,” DSP KC said. “Because the tank’s upper cover was closed, sufficient oxygen could not enter. As a result, oxygen levels inside the tank dropped significantly, causing both men to suffocate.”
Police said the exact depth of the tank has not yet been determined, but investigators believe it was deep enough to create a dangerously oxygen-deficient environment.
