Poisonous manhole kills 3

Two 17-year-olds and another man died after inhaling toxic gasses inside a manhole on Tuesday afternoon. Victims Babu Lal (17), Ravinder Kumar (27) had entered the manhole to clean it while Harish Maini (17) went inside after he was allegedly forced by his employer to go down and help his friends.

Two 17-year-olds and another man died after inhaling toxic gasses inside a manhole on Tuesday afternoon.

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Victims Babu Lal (17), Ravinder Kumar (27) had entered the manhole to clean it while Harish Maini (17) went inside after he was allegedly forced by his employer to go down and help his friends.

The incident took place at ‘Badhai Banquet Hall’ — where the victims worked — in Adarsh Nagar in Northwest Delhi.

On Monday afternoon around 1.35 pm, Babu and Ravinder were asked to clean the manhole by their employer, who owns the banquet hall.

“They went in and both felt giddy due to the toxic fumes inside the manhole. All they were wearing in the name of protective gear was a handkerchief over their nose and mouth,” said a senior police officer. The police said the two tried to come out of the manhole but could not make it.

Harish's father Dalip Maini alleged his son was forced to go inside the manhole.

“The owner of the banquet hall and the security guard tied a rope around his stomach,” Dalip said.

“He did not want to go as he knew the gasses inside the manhole were poisonous.”

Maini also fell unconscious as soon as he entered the manhole and died.

The police have registered a case of negligence against the owner who goes by the name of Bhandari and taken him into custody. The police are investigating the incident.