Four people lost their lives after becoming trapped inside an underground chamber of an effluent treatment plant (ETP) at a firm in Surat on Sunday morning, officials said.
Preliminary findings indicate that three labourers and a supervisor may have suffocated after being exposed to toxic gases that had accumulated inside the tank.
The incident occurred at the premises of Rati House (Rati Jewellers), located near Choryasi Dairy in the Khand Bazar area of Surat.
According to officials, the Surat Fire Control Room received an emergency call at around 10.22 am reporting that several workers were trapped inside the underground tank chamber. A fire brigade rescue team was immediately dispatched to the site.
Firefighters equipped with oxygen cylinders and specialised rescue gear entered the tank and successfully brought all four workers out during the rescue operation.
The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, but doctors declared all four dead on arrival.
Senior officials from the police and local administration reached the site to assess the situation and oversee the investigation.
Police have registered a case of accidental death and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the tragedy.