Two workers die after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning diesel tank in Sharjah

SHARJAH // Two workers died and two others were taken to hospital after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning the inside of a diesel tank in Sharjah.

A police spokesman said emergency services were alerted after workers became trapped in the tank at their workplace. They were employed by a company that specialises in cleaning diesel tanks.

“The notice came at 4.30pm on Tuesday and we dispatched our team with ambulances and officials from civil defence,” said the spokesman.

“We found two people in very critical condition and distress and we helped them out of the tank, and then we found two bodies lying lifeless in the tank.”

The men who died were identified as a 34-year-old Egyptian and a 27-year-old Pakistani. Their bodies were taken to the police forensic laboratory.

The injured men were taken to Kuwait Hospital for treatment. One of them was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit and remains in a critical condition. Neither has been identified.

The police spokesman said primary investigations found the men had entered the tank without any safety measures or precautions.

“There should not be any laxity in safety procedures, and such violations that risk workers’ lives are seriously punished by law,” he said.

Sharjah police recently issued several awareness campaigns regarding exposure of workers to harmful fumes, whether in the form of pesticides or smoke, in a bid to avoid accidents.