Three killed of asphyxiation in Panipat sewage system

Two sanitation workers engaged in manual scavenging and a passerby have died of asphyxiation while cleaning a sewage system in a residential colony of Panipat on Friday

Two sanitation workers engaged in manual scavenging and a passerby have died of asphyxiation while cleaning a sewage system in a residential colony of Panipat on Friday.

As per initial reports, the workers did not have safety kits and allegedly were not in compliance with the safety measures. (iStock)

They have been identified as Zahid Khan, 18, a sanitary worker and resident of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, Sumit Mita, 25, a site engineer and resident of Badoli village in Panipat.

They were engaged by a private contractor of TDI City in Sector 24 of Panipat, and had entered into the sewers to open a blockade.

The third deceased could not be identified yet but police said he was a passerby and was reportedly trying to help them when they were stuck inside the sewers.

Police said Jahid and Salman, along with Sumit, had come to open the blockade and entered the sewers but when they started inhaling poisonous gas, Salman managed to come out, but Jahid lost consciousness.

Later, Sumit and a passerby went inside to save Jahid, but they could not come out.

The locals called an ambulance and were rushed to hospital but they were declared brought dead by the doctors.

As per initial reports, the workers did not have safety kits and allegedly were not in compliance with the safety measures.

According to Chandni Bagh police station in-charge Manjeet Singh, soon after reports of the incident, a police team had rushed to the spot.

He said two deceased have been identified but the third is yet to be identified. The bodies have been sent to a civil hospital for postmortem and investigation is on.

Statements of the families are being recorded for registration of FIR and further action, he added.