Four labourers die in Hyderabad manhole

Hyderabad: Four labourers died while cleaning a sewerage manhole in Hyderabad on Saturday, police said.

The contract workers of Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HWS&SB) died after getting trapped in the manhole and inhaling poisonous gas.

The incident occurred at Ayyappa Society in upscale Madhapur, the hub of IT companies.

Two workers, who were cleaning the manhole at a depth of 20 feet, fell unconscious after inhaling poisonous gas. Two more workers who entered the manhole to save them also got trapped and died.

An employee of 108 ambulance, which rushed there, fell sick after inhaling the gas. He was hospitalized.

The rescue workers retrieved the bodies of all the victims.

Other workers alleged that the contractor used the services of unskilled labourers. They said no minimum precautions were taken, resulting in the loss of four lives.

Police registered a case of negligence against the contractor.