A temporary electric connection was given to light the tank’s interior, following which the workers were found to be unconscious. They were rescued and taken to the Bhadrak district headquarters hospital, police said.
Doctors there declared them dead. The deceased were identified as Babaji Majhi, Bapi Majhi and Narahari Behera, they said.
“We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of their death — whether they died due to electrocution or suffocation. The reason can be established after post-mortem examinations,” said Suchandera Mahallik, the inspector-in-charge of the Khaira police station.
A case was registered and an investigation started, Mahallik said.
On June 3, four sanitation workers died allegedly due to asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank in Nabarangpur district. PTI CORR BBM BBM SOM