Two labourers suffocated to death while cleaning a manhole situated near Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya’s quarters in Jayamahal on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Prasanna and Sethu.
The two, along with two others, went to clear the clogged manhole. One of them ventured into the manhole and slipped and got buried in the filth. The other person who climbed down to his rescue also fell, the police said. Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out the duo and rushed them to Mahaveer Jain Hospital where the doctors declared them as brought dead.
The death of the two labourers shows negligence on the part of the BBMP contractor who did not provide any safety measures to the workers, forcing them to resort to clean the manhole manually, members of the BBMP Safai Karamchari Association alleged.
The mishap occurred in the CPWD quarters during a maintenance work by PWD engineers who hired the labourers.The BWSSB says it is a house service connection and hence came under the PWD's maintenance.
One more labourer involved in the work is said to be critical.
