Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Two workers fell unconscious while cleaning an underground diesel tank at a petrol pump near Semaria Chowk in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district on Monday.
The tank had remained closed for nearly 20 years.
After opening the underground tank, both workers entered it to begin cleaning. However, they reportedly had no oxygen masks or other safety equipment, and no check was carried out to find out whether any harmful gas was present inside the tank.
Soon after entering, both men collapsed and lost consciousness.
According to officials, the incident took place at Vindhya Filling Station on Rewa Road. The cleaning work was being carried out on the instructions of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
Two workers, identified as Prashant Singh Tomar and Neeraj, had come from the company's Jabalpur depot to clean the old diesel tank.
A Dial 112 emergency call was made, but the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was reportedly unable to carry out the rescue due to a shortage of staff. Following this, Satna Mayor Yogesh Tamrakar directed the Municipal Corporation's fire team to take charge of the rescue operation.
Using a hydraulic aerial ladder and safety equipment, the fire team entered the tank and rescued both unconscious workers one by one. They were immediately taken to the district hospital by ambulance, where doctors placed them on ventilator support. Officials later said both workers are in stable condition and out of danger.
Mayor Yogesh Tamrakar praised the fire team's courage and quick response, saying their timely action helped save both workers' lives.
He also announced a reward of ₹5,100 for each of the six fire team members involved in the rescue, which will be presented on Independence Day.
