HARARE – Two City of Harare employees died on duty at the municipality’s Glen View sewer treatment plant on Thursday, allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes.
In a statement, the local authority described the deaths as “unfortunate and tragic,” saying the circumstances are still under investigation.
“The City of Harare extends its deepest condolences to the families of the two and we promise to get to the bottom of the matter,” the council said.
Police, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and City officials have launched a joint probe into the incident.
Harare spokesman Stanley Gama said he was waiting for a full report, but added: “Preliminary information is that they died from toxic sewer gas.”
Experts say sewer workers are often exposed to hydrogen sulfide, a highly poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs at low levels but quickly deadens the sense of smell at higher concentrations. Inhaling it in confined spaces can paralyse the lungs within minutes.
Other gases commonly found in sewers — including methane and carbon dioxide — can also displace oxygen, leading to suffocation, while ammonia may cause respiratory failure at high levels.
This is not the first such tragedy. In November last year, two council workers suffocated in Gweru’s Athlone neighbourhood after entering a manhole filled with noxious gases.
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