Hans News Service Koraput

Threepersons died of suspected asphyxiation after entering a septic tank to clean it in Rayagada district on Wednesday, police said. The incident took place in Tarpaguda in the Padmapur police station area.

The deceased were identified as Harishchandra Bir (46), Prakash Lima (47) and Alok Karad (45), all locals. One of them entered the tank first, following which the other two went inside one after another. They subsequently became unconscious, apparently due to lack of oxygen or toxic gases inside the tank, police said. Fire services personnel later retrieved the bodies of the three victims from the tank. “The three prima facie appear to have died of asphyxiation after entering the septic tank. The exact cause of death will be known after postmortem,” Padmapur police station inspector-in-charge BD Pradhan said.