Sharjah: Three workers died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning an oil tank in Sharjah, an official told Gulf News on Sunday.
Officials said the police operations room was alerted after workers became trapped in the tank at their workplace in Al Saja’a Industrial area.
They were employed by a company that specialises in cleaning oil tanks.
The incident occurred at Watan Al Amjad for used oil trading company, the official said.
“The information came late Saturday night and police patrol and paramedics dispatched with ambulances and officials from civil defence,” official said. “We found three bodies lying lifeless in the tank.”, he said
The men who were Indians aged 20, 23, and 47. Their bodies were taken to the police forensic laboratory.
Initial investigations found that 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.
Meanwhile, Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence, told Gulf News that they received a call about the incident and civil defence team moved to the scene of the incident and pulled out the bodies.
He urged companies to follow safety measures to protect lives of their workers.
The police are investigating the circumstances leading to the workers’ death.
