Ujjain: Four hotel employees died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning an underground waste chamber at a hotel on Dewas Road in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on Saturday night, news agency ANI reported on Sunday, November 1.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

District Collector Raushan Kumar Singh told ANI that two individuals initially entered the food waste tank, apparently for cleaning. Two more people then entered the tank in an attempt to rescue them. "In total, it is reported that four individuals have lost their lives," Singh said.

WION, reporting the same incident, named the hotel as Hotel Shri Ganga on Dewas Road and said two others who attempted to rescue the trapped workers also fell ill and were rushed to hospital.

Source: WION

Rescuers also collapsed, police say

Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma told ANI that hotel staff, along with some private individuals brought in for the task, entered a chamber used for collecting leftover food and residual waste. A gas leak appeared to have made the floor extremely slippery, causing the individuals to collapse, he said. Others who entered the chamber to assist them also collapsed; they were rescued and transported to hospital, and Sharma said some were in stable condition. Police personnel made continuous efforts to revive the victims by administering CPR, and a medical team was placed on standby at the hospital, he added.

Collector Singh said authorities are gathering further details to determine the exact sequence of events. No names of the deceased, and no official finding on what gas was involved or whether safety equipment was used, had been released in the reports available at the time of publication. Further details are awaited.