Three workers die while cleaning drainage tank in Pune

PUNE: Three workers died after entering a water drainage tank at a mushroom processing unit in Pune district on Sunday evening, as per the Pune Rural police.

According to the officials, the incident took place at a mushroom company in Belasar village of Purandar taluka under the jurisdiction of Jejuri police station around 4.30 pm on Sunday.

The police said that one worker had entered the drainage tank to clean it, but did not return. Sensing trouble, two other workers went down one after the other to rescue him, but they too failed to come out.

Locals then rushed to the spot and, with the help of a JCB machine, broke open the concrete slab covering the drainage tank and pulled out the three workers. They were immediately taken to the Jejuri Rural Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Three workers die after suspected toxic gas inhalation in Pune drainage tank tragedy; safety lapses under scrutiny.#Maharashtra #Pune #BreakingNews #IndustrialSafety #Tragedy pic.twitter.com/vcoVNBlfC9

— Lokmat Times Nagpur (@LokmatTimes_ngp) April 27, 2026

“Prima facie, it appears that the workers lost consciousness due to the accumulation of toxic gases inside the tank and died on the spot,” police said. The deceased have been identified as Pintu Rajesh Prasad (23), Vyas Soham Kumar (22), and Gautam Ramsuran Kushwaha (36), all natives of Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh.

Police said that post-mortem examinations are currently underway. An accidental death case has been registered, and further investigation is in progress. (ANI)