Worker Dies in Refrigerant Leak India, OSHA Investigates California Fuel Tank Death

Two separate fatal workplace incidents occurred recently involving hazardous environments. In Gujarat, India, a refrigerant gas leak at Gujarat Fluorochemicals' plant resulted in one death and 12 hospitalizations, with the leak rapidly contained by safety systems, and the fatality likely occurring during evacuation. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, California, Ashkan Abbashashemi Moghaddam, a 37-year-old environmental services worker employed by Ponder Environmental Services, died after passing out inside an underground fuel tank at a Costco gas station due to suspected exposure to gasoline vapors or a medical condition. Rescue efforts involved careful air-supplied extraction, but Moghaddam succumbed despite CPR and hospitalization. Investigations by OSHA and Cal/OSHA are ongoing in the U.S. case, while the Indian incident is also under investigation. Both events raise concerns about workplace safety protocols and the handling of hazardous substances.