3 Sanitation Workers Die Of Suffocation While Cleaning Sewage In Rajasthan

Three sanitation workers on Tuesday died of suffocation while cleaning a newly laid sewage chamber on Balita Road under Kunhari Police Station here, officials said.

Out of the four workers who had entered the chamber, one of them survived and was rushed to a hospital, they said. The incident occurred between 3.30 pm and 4 pm on Tuesday afternoon, they added.

The deceased, identified as Kamal, (25), Kiresi (26), Galiya (24) -- all from Jhabua district in Bihar -- were employed by a contractor of Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Programme (RUIDP), police said.

The four men had climbed down the chamber for initial cleaning of the chamber with a sewer jetting machine, superintendent engineer, RUIDP Rakesh Garg said.

The sewerage line work on Balita road was complete and house-to-house connection of the line was underway, he said.

According to police, Ravi -- one of the workers in the sewage chamber -- felt suffocated and climbed out of it and informed those outside, following which a rescue team from Kota Municipal Corporation was rushed to the spot. The three men, who were still in the chamber -- 25 feet from the ground -- were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead.

ADM City Brijmohan Bairwa, ASP Praveen Jain, DSP Shankar Lal also rushed to the spot. ADM Bairwa said a committee would be formed to probe the incident and action would be taken accordingly.

An investigation into the incident is underway, ASP Jain said.

He said a case would be lodged based on the complaint by the kin of the deceased.

The bodies of the three men have been sent for post-mortem, he added.

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