Mumbai: Five civic workers fell deep into the water chamber while cleaning a water pipeline at Nana Chowk on Saturday midnight, where one worker died due to suffocation. The fire brigade officials were informed about the incident, who rushed to the spot and rescued the civic workers.
The injured were rushed to the civic-run Nair Hospital, where one worker was declared brought dead. Gamdevi police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the matter. On Saturday night, five workers had entered the pipeline at August Kranti Maidan near Nana Chowk for maintenance and repair work.
The five workers were identified as Rakesh Nigam (45), Balasaheb (47), Umesh Pawar (42), Suresh Pawar (42) and Shantaram Bhakte (47). While cleaning the pipeline, the five fell deep into the water chamber due to an alleged explosion on Saturday midnight, where they fell unconscious. The fire brigade officials were alerted and a team reached the spot.
The fire brigade officials rescued the five civic workers and rushed then to Nair Hospital in South Mumbai for treatment. While four were admitted to the hospital and are in a stable condition, Nigam was declared brought dead at the hospital. Doctors believe he died of suffocation but are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death.
A police official from Gamdevi police station said, “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s pipeline was being cleaned when the incident happened. The deceased’s body has been sent for post mortem to ascertain the cause of death.” An accidental death report has been registered at Gamdevi police station and a probe was underway, he added.
Earlier in January, three Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) workers died in a manhole near Panvel after they entered it for cleaning purpose. The incident occurred at 5.30pm in Kalundare village near Panvel on January 9. Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in that matter as well.