Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (SP)

Shivamogga, Aug 7: In an incident which happened near Nagarahalli Gas Agency on New Thirthahalli Road in the city on Monday August 6 afternoon, two workers who went down the manhole suffocated to death.

The deceased have been identified as Anjanapa (18) and Venkatesh (32), residents of Benthekatte in Jagalur taluk, Davanagere district. Both the bodies were retrieved from the manhole later and shifted to McGann Hospital here for postmortem examination. A complaint against the contractor was filed in Doddapet police station. In addtition, a person named Tippeshi, who reportedly procured these workers, was also taken into custody by the police.

Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been conducting underground drainage works in the city since the last several years. The officials found that the water supply through a pipe located 20 to 25 feet down the surface, was not smooth. For checking the problem, Anjanappa was sent down. Venkatesh, observing that Anjanappa did not come out, got down the manhole. Both later were found to have suffocated to death.

The other workers on the spot immediately got in touch with the police who arranged to bring out the bodies. The lid of this man hole had been kept closed since the last many months, and therefore it was full of poisonous gases, it is said. As the manhole was over 20 feet deep, there was shortage of oxygen. Sending workers in without following safety measures has been blamed for this tragedy.