TV
Two workers, Tete Tangaranga, 25, and Chittaranjan Tangaranga, 30, died from suffocation while cleaning a well in Rayagada district's Bandhiri village on Wednesday.
Also Read: 3 labourers die of ‘asphyxiation’ in under-construction septic tank in Cuttack
The incident occurred in Kalima Sahi locality of Sadar panchayat under Chandrapur police limits. The workers had descended into a well early in the morning to start cleaning when they fell unconscious and later succumbed to suffocation. Following the mishap, local fire services personnel recovered their bodies and transported them to a nearby health centre, though they could not be saved and were pronounced ‘dead’ upon arrival.
As of now, local authorities have not issued any statements regarding the incident.
Chandrapur police have commenced a probe into the circumstances surrounding the deaths and are urging any potential witnesses to step forward with information.
Legal and social responses
Such incidents often trigger public protests demanding faster investigations and stricter implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act.
Occupational hazard patterns
The Cuttack tragedy reflects systemic neglect of protective gear protocols for sanitation workers, marking Odisha's third septic tank fatality incident in 12 months.
Septic tank asphyxiation incidents
Three sewage workers died of asphyxiation in Cuttack (September 2024) while attempting a rescue in an underground septic tank, exposing persistent occupational safety failures in manual scavenging operations.
Common causes of asphyxiation
Deaths primarily occur due to oxygen depletion or toxic gas accumulation in confined well spaces. Victims often lose consciousness rapidly, as seen in Rayagada where two labourers died within minutes while installing a motor pump in 2023. Similar oxygen deficiency caused fatalities in Dhenkanal in 2023 when a rescuer succumbed alongside the initial victim.
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High-risk rescue attempts
Nearly 42% of cases involve secondary fatalities during rescue efforts. In Ganjam (2024), Dibakar Sahu died saving two unconscious workers, demonstrating the domino effect of unplanned interventions. The Gajapati incident saw three villagers hospitalised during attempted rescues.
