At least five workers have been killed while cleaning a septic tank in Joypurhat’s Akkelpur Upazila.The accident took place at a house in Jaffarpur village around 10:15am on Wednesday, according to Kiron Kumar Roy, chief of Akkelpur Police Station.

The dead have been identified as Pritam Chandra, Bhutrro Chandra, Shahin Hossain, Sajal and Mukul.

“Six workers went down into an old septic tank of Nikhil Kumar’s house to clean the waste. They fainted after inhaling toxic gas,” said the OC.

On receiving the news, the firefighters rushed to the scene and pulled out three bodies from the tank, he said.

Three workers were rushed to a nearby hospital where two of them later died.

Deshsangbad/Alo