The five youths in Siliguri on Friday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, June 20: The death of a 17-year-old worker in a pesticides factory in Himachal Pradesh last week has prompted five of his friends to quit their jobs at the facility and return home in Gulma Tea Estate near Siliguri.

They came back from Kala-amb in Sirmaur district of the Himalayan state by road yesterday with the body of Martin Topno, who died while making Phorate, a highly toxic pesticide, on Saturday morning. “He was not wearing a mask and inhaled the toxic substance, some of which also entered his mouth,” said Ismail Topno, the oldest of the six who worked at United India Pesticides Factory at Kala-amb. “Soon he started feeling uneasy and had to lie down.”

Around 1.30pm, factory manager Rajesh Kumar called in a doctor who said Martin would have to be admitted to a hospital. Martin was taken to a private hospital in Kala-amb, from where he was referred to PGI Chandigarh. “But he died on the way,” Ismail said.

The investigating officer of the Nahan police station, head constable Dalip Singh Tomar, said over the phone: “An FIR (No. 158/08) was filed by his colleagues and a case has been started against the factory owner and manager under Section 304A (death caused by negligence).”

Tomar added that the detailed post-mortem report was yet to arrive, but doctors had said Martin died following “severe respiratory distress after inhalation/ingestion of a poisonous chemical”.

When the news reached Khair Labour Line in Gulma Tea Estate, where Martin’s mother stays, members of the Legal Aid Forum arranged for the body and the other workers to be sent back at the cost of the factory owner, who agreed.

“We will initiate a case against the owner for employing a minor in a hazardous occupation,” Forum secretary Amit Sarkar said.

Two other workers, Dildharan and Anup (who is also a minor), have dermatological problems from exposure to toxic chemicals. Dildharan’s toes and parts of his feet have turned green. “We were given gloves and boots, but once they were torn, they were not replaced,” he said.

Contacted, manager Rajesh Kumar admitted that Martin had died from exposure to toxic substances. “But we had given the workers the necessary protective gear,” he said.

However, Kumar did not comment on employing minors in the hazardous job.