NEW DELHI: Five workers died cleaning a sewer in the Nandagram area of Ghaziabad on Thursday. It was alleged that the workers inhaled noxious fumes while cleaning a septic tank and died from asphyxiation.
However, sources said the victims are yet to be identified. Reports said one of the workers first entered the underground drain. Sensing trouble as minutes ticked by and he didn’t come out, another went in.
However, as the second worker, too, did not come out, a third went looking for him. In a matter of minutes, all five workers entered the drain, looking for the one that went in before. But none came out alive.
Locals said the workers did not have any safety or protective gear while cleaning the sewer. As word of the incident got out, a police team arrived at the scene and fished out the bodies with the help of locals.
Reports said the contractor fled the spot after none of the workers came out alive.
According to the police, it was the contractor’s behest that the workers had arrived at the spot to clean the underground sewer line.
Reports said the workers were rushed to a nearby hospital, but couldn’t be revived.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mourned the death of the five sewer cleaners and directed the managing director of Jal Nigam to release an immediate grant of `10 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased.
He also ordered a detailed probe into the reasons for the incident and sought a report within two days. In June this year, one worker died and two others were washed away while carrying out construction work at an underground sewer line of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at Khyala in west Delhi.
Rescuers, rushed to the spot to look for survivors, later fished out another body from the spot.