4 labourers die in water tank as rescue attempt turns fatal

The deceased were identified as Hasipal Shaikh, 19, Raja Shaikh, 20, Jiaullah Shaikh, 36, and Imandu Shaikh, 38. Purhan Shaikh, 31, survived

MUMBAI: Four labourers died of suffocation inside a water tank located in the basement of an under-construction building on Mint Road, Nagpada, on Sunday. Three of the deceased had gone in to rescue their fellow worker, but none of them survived. One other worker, who had also gone inside the water tank, managed to survive.

Mumbai, India - March 9, 2025:View of Bismillha Space Building where workers were suffocated while clean water tank at Nagpada, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The deceased were identified as Hasipal Shaikh, 19, Raja Shaikh, 20, Jiaullah Shaikh, 36, and Imandu Shaikh, 38. Purhan Shaikh, 31, survived.

The incident at 12.30pm occurred when a labourer went in to dislodge a plywood scaffolding that was stuck inside a water tank at Bismillah Space building near Good Luck Motor Training School. The tank was located underground in the basement of the under-construction building. After some time, four others went inside to rescue him and three suffocated to death in the process, said an official. Mumbai fire brigade was called in to rescue all the labourers. They were taken to JJ Hospital, where four were declared dead.

Suresh Sagar, assistant commissioner of E ward said that the place of the accident is a private building, and the project is still under construction. “It is an under-construction, 21-storey building. This is a private construction and not related to BMC, hence we cannot take any action. We have notified the police to take action.”

The JJ Marg police have registered Accidental Death Report in connection with the incident. “The police are in the process of recording statements of the people who were present and from the contractor at the site to get the facts”, said senior inspector Sanjay Kate. The investigation is going on and legal action will be taken based on the post-mortem reports of the deceased, he added.

with inputs from Manish Kumar Pathak