New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday said it has issued notices to the Bihar government and the Muzaffarpur district authorities over reports that two workers died allegedly due to asphyxiation inside a septic tank.
The incident reportedly took place in the Sikandarpur area of Muzaffarpur on September 14, the rights panel said.
The NHRC said it has "taken suo motu cognisance of a media report" on the deaths.
The commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.
It has issued notices to the state's chief secretary and district magistrate and the senior superintendent of police, seeking detailed reports within two weeks.
The reports are expected to include the status of the investigation and details of any compensation provided to the next of kin of the deceased workers, the statement said.
According to a media report carried on September 15, the workers were removing shuttering from a septic tank when the incident happened. The matter is being investigated to determine whether there was any breach of safety protocols, it said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.