Four workers die after inhaling toxic gas in Ujjain hotel waste chamber

Madhav Nagar police station in-charge Gajendra Pachoriya said rescue workers used a machine to cut open the metal chamber door

Four workers died after entering a chamber at a hotel’s basement for leftover food and residual waste at a hotel in western Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district on Saturday night, a senior police officer said.

Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma said the incident took place at Shri Ganga Hotel on Dewas Road in the district.

“Staff members along with some private individuals brought in for the task entered an above-ground chamber used for collecting leftover food and residual waste,” Sharma said, adding that the workers collapsed due to toxic gas and a slippery surface.

A fifth cleaner, Hemraj, entered the chamber to help the four but managed to come out after experiencing breathing difficulties and dizziness. Two others who entered to rescue the trapped workers also fell ill and were admitted to the hospital for treatment.

“After receiving information about the incident, a team from Madhav Nagar police station rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The workers had become trapped inside,” Sharma said.

A police sub-inspector also sustained injuries during the rescue operation.

“It was a difficult operation. A cutting machine was used to cut open the metal chamber door. After nearly 90 minutes of rescue efforts, all four men were pulled out. Police personnel administered CPR in an attempt to revive them, but none survived,” said Madhav Nagar police station in-charge Gajendra Pachoriya.

The bodies of the victims have been sent for an autopsy. The family of the deceased has sought strict action against the hotel owner.

I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More