Two workers electrocuted during sewer line excavation in Faridabad, house owner booked

Two workers were electrocuted on Thursday after they came in contact with an underground power cable while carrying out excavation work of a sewer line for a house in Sector 14, Faridabad, police said on Friday

Two workers were electrocuted on Thursday after they came in contact with an underground power cable while carrying out excavation work of a sewer line for a house in Sector 14, Faridabad, police said on Friday.

Police identified the deceased as Manish Kumar, 55, a resident of Sector 3, and Shehanshah, 34, a resident of Sector 2. Both were originally from Bihar and were working as daily wage workers in Faridabad for the last 10 years, police officers said.

According to police, the incident took place between 4.30pm and 5pm outside a house where work to connect a sewer line was underway.

Inspector Satbir Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Central police station, said that while digging the trench, the two workers ended up hitting an underground electricity cable with their spades and were electrocuted as the insulation was damaged.

Emergency response vehicles reached the spot and rushed the duo to the Badshah Khan Civil Hospital where doctors declared them dead, police said.

“They died instantly. We suspect that the cable was an 11kV underground feeder of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (DHBVNL). We have sought a report from them,” said Singh.

Investigators said three other workers, Ram Rahisa, Suraj and Ratiram were present at the site when the incident occurred.

Police said the trio alleged that the house owner was aware of the underground power cable but did not inform the workers before they started the excavation work.

“The workers alleged that the accident could have been avoided if they had been informed prior to starting the work. They said that they would have changed the layout of the sewer line before starting work,” Singh said.

Following a complaint from the workers, police registered an FIR against the house owner and the contractor late Thursday at the Central police station under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, adding that arrests will follow further investigation.