Dhar: Three workers died on Sunday after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a chemical tank at a lubricant oil factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, highlighting once again the recurring safety lapses in hazardous workplaces across India.
The incident took place at 8:30 pm at Shri Sagar Lubricant Oil Factory in the Bagdun police station limits, about 45 km from Dhar town.
Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Dawar identified the victims as Sushil (30), Deepak (35), and Jagdish (32). Their bodies were shifted to Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital for post-mortem.
Factory manager Lokesh Gupta told reporters that one worker fainted while cleaning the tank, and when two others rushed to help him, they too collapsed due to the toxic fumes. Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
🚨 A Pattern of Negligence
This accident is the latest in a series of similar tragedies across India:
-
January 2025: Two workers died while cleaning a sewage station in Gujarat.
-
July 2025: Three workers lost their lives in a sugar mill in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, after exposure to toxic gases.
-
August 2025: Four workers died from a nitrogen leak at a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
A July 2025 social audit revealed that 150 workers died from hazardous cleaning jobs in 2022–2023 alone, with more than 90% of sewer-related deaths involving workers without protective safety gear.
Worker Safety Under Scrutiny
Industrial safety experts say these incidents highlight a dangerous mix of poor compliance with safety norms, lack of protective equipment, and inadequate training. Despite multiple court orders and safety guidelines, enforcement remains weak, leaving workers vulnerable to preventable deaths.
As probes begin into the Dhar tragedy, the incident adds urgency to calls for stricter accountability, stronger monitoring, and safer practices in India’s industrial and sanitation sectors.
