Shillong, Jul 11: Five people died of suffocation inside a storage water tank at Dong Madan, Lapalang here on Friday.
The workers were engaged in cleaning activities when they brought a diesel-powered generator into the confined space of the reservoir. Unfortunately, the exhaust fumes quickly filled the tank, depriving them of breathable air.
According to officials, four workers entered the 33-foot-deep water tank to carry out cleaning works. Three of them became incapacitated due to a lack of oxygen, while the fourth was able to escape.
Hearing the cries for help, two brothers from Nongrah Dongktieh, Sunil Thakuri (34) and Umesh Thakuri (30), rushed to the spot and entered the tank to help but succumbed to the harmful fumes as well.
The families of the three victims from Thangsning and Umïew chose not to disclose the identities of their loved ones.
Sub-Divisional Officer of the Water Resources Department Laripor Roy Nongbri said preliminary information indicated that the workers took the generator inside because the water pump pipe was too short to reach the bottom of the tank.
“The tank has a narrow opening. The exhaust fumes from the generator filled the confined space, and the workers lost consciousness due to inhalation of poisonous gases,” Nongbri told reporters.
On Saturday afternoon, a virtual autopsy was conducted on all five deceased, using MRI and CT scans, before the bodies were handed over to their families.
Mawkynrew MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh was also present along with others to support the grieving families. The families had declined a conventional post-mortem and opted for the virtual autopsy procedure.
Meanwhile, officials from the Water Resources Department, along with personnel from Rynjah Police Station today visited the accident site to inspect the water tank and carry out an investigation.
Preliminary findings confirmed that the cause of death was inhalation of toxic fumes from the diesel generator that had been placed inside the tank. Since the water pump pipe could not reach the bottom, the workers had lowered the generator into the reservoir, unaware of the danger posed by exhaust gases in an enclosed, poorly ventilated space.
The department said it would coordinate with local authorities and village leaders to spread awareness about the risks and to recommend safer methods for cleaning and repair work.
Authorities have urged contractors, workers and residents to avoid using generators, pumps or any combustion engines inside confined spaces without proper ventilation and safety equipment.
The department plans to issue formal guidelines and circulate them to all districts, emphasising that alternative methods should be used when cleaning deep tanks, and that emergency protocols must be in place before any such work begins.
