Maharashtra: Amid heavy rain, two labourers drown in an overflowing manhole at Govandi

Amid heavy rains in Mumbai, two contract labourers died after falling into a manhole of an underground drain while carrying out cleaning work on the 90-feet road number 10 at Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, around 4.22pm on Saturday, a BMC press release stated. The fire brigade rushed to the spot after being informed about the tragedy by the other workers who pulled them out. The deceased, Ramkrishna (25) and Sudhir Das (30), were declared brought dead at Rajawadi Hospital.

According to BMC officials, the two contract labourers had been engaged by Gyan Construction Company, which is building a 600mm-diameter sewer line. The firm has not handed over the sewer line to the BMC so far.How the labourers died is not yet clear. We will have to wait for the post-mortem report to find out whether they died of suffocation, drowning or electrocution. When other labourers realised that there was something amiss, they checked for the two labourers and got them out," said a BMC official. A BMC official said tender conditions specify safety measures to be implemented by the contractor. The BMC has called for an inquiry. Police were in the process of filing a case under IPC Section 304A for causing death by negligence against the contractor.