HUBBALLI: Two people died after suffocating while carrying out centering work in an underground drainage in the city on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Supal Biswas (50) of West Bengal and
Hanumantappa Chawan (26) of Andhra Pradesh. Anthony, a local worker, escaped unhurt.
They were working for Eagle Construction Company, which has the contract of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (KUIDFC) to implement the UGD project. As the project is in its final stage, the labourers were doing manhole centering work.
According to the police, Biswas entered the manhole using a ladder and slipped and fell in. Chawan, who was with him on the ladder, tried to catch him, but he too slipped. Anthony tried to save them and called out for help.
The public gathered in no time and pulled Anthony up. The police and Fire Department personnel lifted Biswas and Chawan out and rushed them to KIMS Hospital, where they were declared brought dead.
The people gathered there lashed out at the contracting agency and KUIDFC for not taking any safety measures at the workplace.
Since both the deceased have no relatives in the city, their bodies have been kept in the mortuary. No one has lodged a complaint with the police.
Though officials of the contracting agency visited the hospital, they refused to speak. No one from the KUIDFC was present at the hospital.
A senior KUIDFC officer said he was not aware of the details of the incident. If the contractors failed to take safety measures, action should be taken against them, he said.