Four workers died after entering a waste chamber for cleaning at a private hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, with officials suspecting that toxic gas caused them to suffocate.
The incident took place around 10.30 pm on Saturday, October 31, at Shri Ganga Hotel on the Ujjain-Dewas road. According to officials, two workers entered an overground chamber containing leftover food and other waste but collapsed inside. Two others then entered in an attempt to rescue them, but all four died.
The deceased have been identified as Wahid Khan, 29, Nitin Binarwan, 28, Kamlesh Tamboli, 30, and hotel supervisor Manoj Meena, 25. Khan, Binarwan and Tamboli were local residents, while Meena was from Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district.
Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma told The Hindu that the workers had entered the chamber without the required protective equipment. Three had reportedly been hired from outside for the cleaning work, while the fourth was employed at the hotel.
Sharma said the deaths were suspected to have been caused by poisonous gas inside the chamber, possibly compounded by slippery sludge. He added that the bodies had been sent for post-mortem examinations and that an FIR would be registered based on the findings.
Police personnel and hotel staff broke open the chamber to recover the bodies. Some people, including police officers, sustained minor injuries during the rescue operation because of an iron grill fitted over the chamber. Sharma said police personnel attempted CPR on the workers but were unable to revive them.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Kumar Singh told The Hindu that the police and the Ujjain Municipal Corporation were investigating the incident. Hotel management and staff are also being questioned.
A Municipal Corporation health department official said the hotel had not obtained the mandatory receipt from the civic body for the cleaning work.
The incident has also raised questions about safety arrangements and procedures for cleaning the waste chamber. Investigators are examining the circumstances under which the workers entered it and whether required safety measures were followed.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav condoled the deaths and announced financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for each bereaved family.
In a post on X, Yadav said the deaths were deeply painful and that he had directed the state government to provide the financial assistance to the families.
