HYDERABAD: Two migrant workers from Odisha died inside a water pipeline belonging to the HMWS&SB on Wednesday, while trying to remove the centring material put inside the inspection chamber. The workers, identified as Santosh (28) and Vijay (25), died within minutes of entering the pipeline in front the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal.
The duo, believed to have died of asphyxiation, was working on a contract basis with L&T. Accompanied by a supervisor and colleagues Mahesh and Muni, they went to the spot on Wednesday. The duo first opened the lid of another chamber, but could not enter due to the stink, hot air and gases emanating from it. They then managed to enter through another chamber.
After breaking the centring, when Santosh moved ahead to open the valve for water supply he fell into the 3-metre deep chamber and became unconscious. Vijay who followed him also met with the same fate. All this while, the supervisor and Muni were waiting outside, while Mahesh had gone to fetch some drinking water.
It was much later that they noticed their colleagues had collapsed inside the chamber. They were pulled out with the help of passersby, but were dead by then. Their bodies have been sent to Gandhi Hospital mortuary for autopsy and the supervisor has been taken into custody. Cops are collecting details of the deceased persons from the water board to reach out to their relatives.