A 19-year-old factory worker from Odisha died and two others were seriously injured after a high-pressure gas leak from a boiler caused a major accident at a factory in the Ananthapuram Industrial Estate in Kumbala, Kasaragod, on Sunday (October 4, 2026) morning.

The deceased has been identified as Maheshwar Kanhar, a worker, a factory that produces value-added products from poultry waste. The two injured workers have been identified as Tanuja, 24, and Sidhananda, 21.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. when gas reportedly escaped forcefully under high pressure from the boiler. The force of the gas discharge threw Maheshwar, who was working nearby, into a deep poultry waste pit located close to the boiler.

As the other two workers attempted to rescue Maheshwar from the pit, they too were caught in the accident and sustained serious injuries.

Other workers at the factory immediately joined the rescue effort and pulled all three workers out of the waste pit before taking them to hospital. However, Maheshwar’s condition had already deteriorated, and he died while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Tanuja, who suffered serious injuries, was shifted to a private hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Her condition is reportedly critical. The other injured worke has been admitted to the Kumbla District Cooperative Hospital.

Following the accident, Kumbla police and industrial safety officials reached the factory and began inspections to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.