The death toll in the mishap at an oil mill in Maharashtra's Latur district has climbed to nine with two more bodies being recovered from a tank in the factory, a fire brigade official said today.
Earlier, seven workers had died yesterday after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a tank at the Kirti Oil Mills in Latur.
Two more bodies were recovered from the tank late last night, a fire brigade official told PTI over phone.
The fire brigade operation was called off at 3 AM today after recovery of the last body, he said.
Yesterday, some workers had fallen unconscious while cleaning the tank at the factory in Latur MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation).
A few others climbed down into the tank to check on them but did not come out. They died after inhaling poisonous gas, the official said.
One worker, who was rescued in an unconscious state, is undergoing treatment at Vivekanand Hospital in Latur, fire brigade official said.
A probe has been started into the incident.
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The deceased have been identified as Dagdu Pawar, Baliram Pawar, Narendra Tekale, R D Shinde, Maroti Gaikwad, Rambhau Yerme, Akash Bhute, Parmeshwar Birajdar and Atkare Shivaji.
State Minister for Labour Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar and Assistant Labour Commissioner D P Patil visited the mishap site where they were gheraoed by relatives of the deceased late last night.
Nilangekar, who is also the Guardian Minister of Latur, later told reporters that they were trying to find out if a case under IPC section 302 (murder) could be filed in connection with the incident.
He also said that the mill would be sealed.
The mill's director, Ashok Bhutda, said information about cause of the mishap could only be provided after the probe.
