Five men in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district allegedly choked to death at a food processing plant in Mogalpur in the district. The incident occurred when the men went in to clean a chemical tank at the Anand Aqua Food company.
The five men, Eega Yedukondalu, Ram Babu, Nallam Yedukondalu, Thota Srinivasa Rao and Jakkamshetty Praveen were all aged between 21 and 25.
"The five workers were cleaning the chemical (tank) in Anand Aqua Food company in Mogalpur area of the district. We have sent a team to the spot to investigate the matter," said B Ratna, Additional SP of the district.
She also added that three of the workers died on the spot, while two died on the way to hospital.
A team of five police officers has been dispatched to the spot to investigate the incident.
Officials said that investigations were still on to find out if the men died due to asphyxiation or due to inhaling toxic gases.
"The incident took place at around 10 in the morning when they were cleaning a tank used for shrimp processing. we are still investigating the matter, so the reason cannot be confirmed immediately,” said DSP Bhaskar Rao.
The families of the victims, who were all residents of nearby villages, alleged that negligence by the plant authorities led to the tragedy.
(IANS Inputs)