Two labourers drown in an overflowing manhole at Govandi

After the bodies were recovered, they were taken to Rajawadi Hospital, where they were pronounced ‘brought dead’. The deceased have been identified as Ramkrishna (25) and Sudhir Das (30).

The Mumbai Fire Brigade said the incident took place at 4.22 pm at Shivaji Nagar’s 90-feet road. The BMC’s preliminary report said the labourers had been employed by a private contractor and had been undertaking cleaning work when the tragedy struck.

“It is a sewerage tunnel that was constructed recently. The process of testing the water flow was going on, which is a routine process before the monsoon every year. Two workers were inside. However, due to heavy rain the channel overflowed and the workers unfortunately drowned,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

However, Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party MLA representing the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency, alleged, in a tweet, that the labourers had died by electrocution.

“Today, two labourers lost their lives due to electrocution on Road No. 10 at 90 feet road of my constituency, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Govandi, who went to check sewage lines,” read the tweet.