Three Labourers Die While Cleaning Manhole in Thane

The incident happened in the MIDC area of Dombivli, after which, the Kalyan-Dombivli fire brigade was summoned.

Representational image of a manhole.

(Photo: Flickr/Altered by The Quint)

Three labourers engaged in cleaning a manhole in an industrial area in Maharashtra's Thane district died on Friday, 26 October, possibly after inhaling poisonous fumes.

The incident happened in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Dombivli in the evening and the Kalyan-Dombivli fire brigade was summoned at around 4:15pm, an official told PTI.

Fire Officer Suresh Shinde of the Dombivli MIDC fire station told PTI that the deceased were part of a team of contract workers who were engaged in cleaning drains in the industrial area.

The three entered the manhole one after the other in a space of few minutes and choked to death, he said.

He identified the three dead persons as Devidas Pajage (30), Ghanshyam (40) and Mahadeo Zope (38).

According to the Indian Express (IE), the three were the only earning members of their respective families.

“The incident was reported around 4 pm. Pajage had gone in before the others. But he collapsed and then the others followed. When none of them came back and did not respond to cries from those outside, the contractor, who was present at the spot, stopped other workers from entering the manhole and called the police,” an officer told IE.

“Prima facie, we have ascertained that it was negligence on the contractor’s part as he did not provide safety gear to his workers. We are in the process of lodging an FIR against him and we expect to arrest him once the FIR is registered,” SB Sawant, senior inspector, Tilak Nagar police station, told IE.

Tilak Nagar police in Dombivli is investigating the incident. It would also probe possible safety regulation violations.

(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express.)