Gandhinagar: The Labour and Employment department has issued closure notices to two manufacturing units after the death of six workers.

The Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), which functions under the Labour and Employment department, issued closure notices to Vishal Fabrics, having its plant at Dholi, and Shri Shakti Chemicals, having its unit at Vatva.

Four workers died at Vishal Fabrics on Saturday when they entered the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) tank for cleaning it without any proper safety equipment. Their dead bodies were recovered from the tank by the authorities.

At Shri Shakti Chemicals, two workers died because of asphyxiation in a chemical vessel on Friday. In this case too, safety measures were not followed.

“Preliminary inquiry has shown that the workers were not provided safety equipment at both the plants. We have issued a closure order to them under the Factories Act so that lives of other workers are not put at risk. We have also registered an FIR against Vishal Fabrics for the incident,” said Vipul Mittra, additional chief secretary, Labour and Employment department.

Mittra said that both companies have been asked to ex-gratia compensation to the next of kin of the deceased workers immediately.