Three people, including the principal of a primary school, have suffocated to death while cleaning a septic tank in Satkhira.
The incident took place at Puijala village in the district's Assasuni upazila on Friday.
Assasuni Upazila Vice Chairman Ashim Baran and Union Parishad Chairman Abu Hena Shakil both confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
The deceased were identified as Jagadish Saha, 50, principal of Puijala Government Primary School; his nephew Tapan Kumar Saha, 40; and cleaner Modon Das, 30.
They were all from the same village.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Jagadish’s son Chandan Saha said: “Modon Das, the cleaner, had been working from 9am in morning to clean the tank. When he stopped responding to calls, my father went into the tank to look for Modon. As he, too, stopped responding to calls, my cousin Tapan went after him.”
When Tapan, too, stopped responding, their family members looked into the tank to find all three of them gasping for air, because of low oxygen level.
The trio were rescued and taken to a local doctor at first, and then to Satkhira Sadar Hospital, where Dr Hashim Kabir, the doctor on duty, pronounced them dead at around 12pm.
