Hailing from Jharkhand, the uncle-nephew duo were residents of Sion. Meanwhile, the contractor, who attempted to rescue the uncle-nephew duo, has been identified as Phulchand Kumar Sahu (27).
One person died while cleaning a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at a residential building in Powai on Wednesday, while another person was critically injured while attempting to rescue him. Mumbai Police maintained that the incident does not fall under the category of manual scavenging and filed an accidental death report.
The incident was reported at 10.42 am at the Raj Grand Doi building located near Hiranandani hospital in Powai. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), two labourers working for Ultra Tech Pvt. Ltd. had been roped in for cleaning STP where they faced suffocation after inhaling gases and were trapped inside the plant. Local activists, who aided the victims after the incident, told The Indian Express that the two labourers were related to one another.
“The two who had been brought in for cleaning were related to one another. The two had entered a portion of the STP, where they started to experience fainting. Upon seeing them, their contractor decided to enter the tank and rescue the two. While he managed to extract one person, when he went down again to rescue the other, he too started feeling faint and weak,” said a local activist.
As the two found themselves trapped inside the tank, the building’s watchman called the Mumbai fire brigade (MFB). MFB officials said that the STP was situated on the lower basement of the 22-storey building. “We noticed that the two persons were trapped inside the tank. Using ladders and by donning breathing apparatus sets, we rescued the two and took them to the Hiranandani hospital,” a civic official said.
Of the two, one was declared dead while the contractor remains critical.
The deceased has been identified as Akshay Mandal (21), while his maternal uncle has been identified as Sudam Mandal (22). Hailing from Jharkhand, the uncle-nephew duo were residents of Sion. Meanwhile, the contractor, who attempted to rescue the uncle-nephew duo, has been identified as Phulchand Kumar Sahu (27).
A senior official from Mumbai Police told The Indian Express, “The building had an annual maintenance contractor with the company whose trained labourers on Wednesday entered the STP for works, where they experienced suffocation. We have registered an accidental death report in the matter and further enquiry in the incident is underway.”
Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)
Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area.
Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:
Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).
Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).
Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.
Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.
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