Two labourers cleaning a water sump at a garment factory near Parappana Agrahara in southeast Bengaluru died of suffocation on Saturday evening. The deceased have been identified as Kammar Anand, 44, and Shashi Kumar TR, 51. Anand was from Andhra Pradesh while Kumar hailed from Tamil Nadu. They were both living in Bengaluru. Police arrested five persons in connection with the incident and later released them on bail.

According to the complaint filed by Shreedhar S, a private firm employee, his father Kumar was working as an operator of the effluent treatment plant and sewage treatment plant at Shahi Exports Private Ltd on Hosur Road. The deceased were assigned to clean the water sump which contained water released from the sewage treatment plant. The duo entered the plant around 2.45pm and were found unconscious around 3.15pm. The company management rushed them to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared them brought dead.

The police have filed a case against the general manager (production) Nandish Gowda, deputy general manager (maintenance) Rajesh Marar, executive in-charge Sreenivas, executive James, and human resources officer Chandra Mohan. Further investigation is ongoing, as stated by a senior police officer.

The bodies of the deceased labourers were handed over to their families after completing the autopsy.