Three workers die from suspected gas poisoning in Cipayung culvert

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Three project workers in Jakarta have died, suspected of gas poisoning while inside a culvert on Jalan Pintu 3 Keong Mas, Cipayung, East Jakarta.

“We evacuated victims of gas poisoning in a culvert on Jalan Pintu 3 Keong Mas, Bambu Apus Village, Cipayung Subdistrict; three people died,” said the Head of Operations Section of the East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Sub-Department (Gulkarmat), Abdul Wahid, in Jakarta on Thursday.

Abdul said his office received a report of the incident at 09.49 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) from officers of another agency.

Following up on the report, the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) Gulkarmat Post immediately deployed two rescue units with 12 personnel to the scene.

“Officers received the information at 09.49 WIB and arrived at the location at around 09.55 WIB. The rescue operation began at 10.00 WIB and finished at 11.55 WIB,” Abdul said.

Abdul explained that, based on information, the incident began when one of the project workers entered the culvert to carry out work.

When he was about halfway down the stairs towards the bottom of the culvert, the victim suddenly lost consciousness.

Seeing his colleague unconscious, another worker attempted to help by entering the culvert.

However, that worker also fainted, suspected of inhaling toxic gas inside the channel.

“The project worker was entering the culvert, then fainted halfway down the stairs, and his friend went in to help but fainted too, then one more person went in and fainted as well, so three people in total,” Abdul explained.

Gulkarmat officers who arrived at the location immediately carried out a rescue operation on the victims using confined space rescue procedures at 10.00 WIB.

Although the evacuation process was successfully completed by 11.55 WIB, all three workers were pronounced dead.

The exact cause of the suspected toxic gas inside the culvert is still under investigation by the authorities.