New Delhi: Delhi Police , probing the death of a man at an under-construction septic/water tank in southwest Delhi’s Chhawla on Oct 21, have found that he and three others, who fell sick after inhaling toxic fumes, had entered the tank without wearing protective safety gear.
A contractor, identified as Madan Pandit (38), entered the tank after labourer Vinod (22) climbed inside and stopped responding, according to investigators. When neither of the two emerged, the plot owner’s sons, Chander Shekhar (35) and Surender Singh (42), allegedly entered the tank in an attempt to rescue them but fell sick after inhaling toxic fumes. In May 2025, a man died after entering a septic tank at a house in New Ashok Nagar, while another person was injured during a rescue attempt. In July 2025, two labourers died after inhaling toxic gases at a sewage treatment plant.
A preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident occurred inside an under-construction water/septic tank on a residential plot.
Police said the tank did not contain sewage or water at the time. The three others are undergoing treatment, said police. Police said a mobile crime team inspected the spot and photographed the scene.
The four men had allegedly entered the confined space to remove shuttering and inspect construction work when they inhaled toxic gases. Pandit went down to check on him. Pandit was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Pandit’s body was shifted to the mortuary at RTRM Hospital for post-mortem and other legal formalities. A case of negligence has been registered, and police are investigating whether the construction work had the necessary permissions and whether any safety lapses contributed to the incident. No arrests have been made so far. The incident is the latest in a series of deaths linked to toxic gases in confined spaces in Delhi. In June this year, three men died after inhaling toxic fumes inside a septic tank at a factory in Mundka Industrial Area.