Durban - Three men were rushed to hospital after they collapsed while working in an underground container in uMhlanga, north of Durban, on Thursday morning.
According to Rescue Care operations director, Garrith Jamieson, they were called out to the scene just after 10:30am.
"When we arrived at the scene we found that three men had been working in the underground container when they were overwhelmed by the fumes and collapsed. The men were still stuck in the container. Between SAPS and Metro Search and Rescue as well as the eThekwini Fire Department, set up a system using breathing apparatus to bring the men were brought to the surface," he said.
Jamieson said two of the men have been critically injured while a third has been treated for serious injuries.
"They men were placed on manual ventilators and rushed to local hospitals for further care," he said.
Police are investigating further.