4 die of suspected suffocation while cleaning waste chamber at Ujjain hotel

Four persons died allegedly due to suffocation inside a waste chamber at a private hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain city late Saturday night, while two others who attempted to rescue them fell ill and required hospitalisation, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred around 11 pm at Shri Ganga Hotel on the Ujjain-Dewas road. According to police, four persons entered the chamber, apparently to clean it, but became trapped inside and lost consciousness.

Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said the victims were pulled out of the chamber, following which police personnel attempted to revive them by administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the efforts were unsuccessful, and doctors declared all four dead after they were taken to a hospital.

The deceased were identified as Kamlesh Tamboli, Nitin Valmik, Manoj Meena and Wahid.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗹𝗹

Police said two other persons entered the chamber in an attempt to rescue the four victims but also fell ill. Both were subsequently taken to a hospital, where they received medical treatment before being discharged.

Preliminary findings suggested that the four victims died due to suffocation inside the chamber. However, the exact cause of death will be established after post-mortem examinations.

The bodies have been sent for autopsy, and authorities are examining the circumstances in which the victims entered the chamber.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱

Ujjain District Magistrate Roshan Kumar Singh said the administration would investigate whether the four persons had entered the waste chamber for cleaning or had accidentally fallen into it.

He said further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation. Officials are also examining the sequence of events leading to the deaths.

The incident has raised concerns over safety arrangements during cleaning operations in enclosed waste chambers, where inadequate ventilation and the possible accumulation of toxic gases can pose serious risks.

𝗖𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝘀 𝟰 𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗵 𝗮𝗶𝗱

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who hails from Ujjain, expressed grief over the deaths and announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the four victims.

In a post on X, Yadav described the incident as deeply painful and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.

“News of the tragic death of four people in an accident while cleaning a chamber at a private hotel in Ujjain is deeply painful. My condolences to the bereaved families. I have directed the state government to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased,” he said.

The Chief Minister also prayed to Baba Mahakal for peace for the departed souls and strength for their families to bear the loss.