By Staff Reporter
HARARE – Tragedy struck at the City of Harare’s Glen View sewer treatment plant on Thursday when two municipal employees died on duty, allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes.
In a statement, the City of Harare described the incident as “unfortunate and tragic,” saying the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
Police, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and City officials have since launched a joint probe into the deaths.
City of Harare spokesman Stanley Gama said he was still awaiting a full report but noted that “preliminary information is that they died from toxic sewer gas.”
Experts warn that sewer workers are often exposed to hydrogen sulfide, a highly poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs at low concentrations but deadens the sense of smell at higher levels. Inhaling it in confined spaces can paralyse the lungs within minutes.
Other dangerous gases commonly found in sewer systems including methane and carbon dioxide, which displace oxygen, and ammonia, which can trigger respiratory failure also pose significant risks.
This is not the first such tragedy. In November last year, two council workers in Gweru’s Athlone neighbourhood suffocated after entering a manhole filled with noxious gases.