Four workers died while cleaning septic tanks in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district on Sunday and two succumbed after they inhaled toxic fumes while cleaning an effluent tank in Gurugram’s Khandsa village, reports said.

Tiruppur South Assistant Commissioner of Police Naveen Kumar told Hindustan Times that one worker died first after inhaling the toxic fumes inside the tank, which was on the premises of a leather unit factory, and that three others died the same way.

Senbaga Valli, Tiruppur revenue divisional officer, said the local administration has initiated an inquiry into the matter. “The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and city corporation will be consulted to check if the unit’s owner has obtained the proper licence,” said Valli.

The deceased in Tamil Nadu have been identified as Anwar Hussain Barbhuiya, Farooq Ahmed, Abu and Dilwar Hussain Barbhuiya from Assam, The News Minute reported.

Officials told the news website that they have booked Jayakumar, the owner of the Tiruppur, and that they will interrogate him.

In the Gurugram incident, the deaths occurred inside the septic tank of an automobile company. The deceased have been identified as contract workers Aslam and Shiv Kumar. Dr Yogesh Kathuria told The Times of India that a third worker is in a critical condition.

Mukesh, president of Sunbeam Workers’ Union, told The Times of India that the organisation had lodged a complaint and staged a protest against the management.