2 brothers die, 3rd critical after inhaling toxic gas at UP mentha processing unit

Meerut: Three brothers, trying to repair a malfunctioned mentha processing tank in Badaun district on Friday, allegedly inhaled toxic fumes leaking from inside the plant, leaving two of them dead and the third battling for life in hospital. All three were sons of the mentha unit owner.

The tragic incident which took place in the morning hours at Suraini Papri in Badaun’s Faizganj Behta police station area has plunged the entire village into deep mourning.

The large-scale mentha processing facility is owned by local businessman Battu Yadav. When a pipeline connected to the facility’s storage tank malfunctioned, his eldest son, 35-year-old Jaiveer Yadav, went inside to carry out repairs.

Almost immediately upon reaching the bottom, Jaiveer was overcome by highly toxic fumes and became unconscious. “Seeing his older brother pass out, Rajesh Yadav, 22, rushed into the tank to rescue him, only to be instantly incapacitated by the gas as well. Noticing both of his brothers trapped, my third son, Manveer Yadav, 26, jumped into the tank, but he too was quickly overwhelmed by the deadly vapours,” said Battu.

The sight of the three brothers lying unconscious triggered widespread panic, drawing a large crowd of villagers to the scene. Risking their own lives, several locals covered their faces with cloth and managed to pull the trio out with ropes. Before the ambulance arrived, villagers administered CPR for nearly 15 minutes in an attempt to revive them.

All three were then taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Jaiveer and Rajesh dead. Manveer, who was critical, was referred to a higher medical facility in Moradabad. He is currently in the intensive care unit of a private hospital, where doctors have put him on ventilator support.

Jaiveer is survived by wife and two children aged five and eight years, while Rajesh was married recently.