Two workers at a private compressed natural gas (CNG) and oil exploration company were killed and three others suffered burns when they fell into a pit filled with waste of chemical effluent near Laodoha in West Burdwan on Tuesday morning.
The deceased duo and the three injured labourers were employed by a contractor to whom the company had outsourced work.
The deceased were Akash Badyakar, 25, a resident of the locality, and Arup Chowdhury, 26, who hailed from Malda. The injured are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Durgapur.
Sources said the accident occurred when four workers engaged at CNG exploration pit number 242 of the Mumbai-based oil and exploration company at Parulia village near Durgapur fell into the chemical waste.
Another worker, Rupkanta Sutradhar, was also injured when he tried to rescue them from the waste pit containing water contaminated by chemical effluent.
All of the five were rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared Akash and Arup dead on arrival. The three others were later shifted to another private hospital in the town after their condition deteriorated.
The workers and residents of the area demonstrated in front of the CNG exploration pit alleging negligence and lack of safety measures by the company. They stopped work at the pit protesting the incident. They demanded proper compensation.
“The incident occurred because of the negligence of the management. Proper safety measures are not followed but employees are forced to work,” said Uttam Singha.
He also alleged that no one from the management came after the incident.
The Mumbai-based company has been exploring and producing CNG on a 500sqkm area in the Raniganj coal belt since 2002. They have invested around ₹3,000 in the project.
Officials of the company said a probe had started and compensation would be given according to norms.