Karnataka: Three workers die inside manhole in Ramanagara

BENGALURU: Three daily-wage workers who entered a manhole in Ramanagara, about 50km from Bengaluru, suffocated to death on Friday.
The tragedy occurred when the workers entered the 20-foot-deep manhole in New Malleshwara block, Ijur, to complete works on sewerage line. The town municipality had taken up the project of laying the line under a special scheme of the government.
Manjunath, 29, Rajesh, 40 and Manjunath, 32, all residents of Kamalanagar in Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru, were brought to the site of work by contractor Harish Kumar around 8am.
MANHOLE DEATHS
Workers went in without safety gear
There was no safety gear provided to the workers. Harish was so negligent that he assigned the responsibilities to his assistant Manoj and left the place. Usually, a lamp will be placed at the bottom of the manhole to ascertain the oxygen level inside. Even that procedure was not followed here,” police said.
“First, Rajesh and Manjunath entered the manhole. Rajesh fell unconscious and Manjunath shouted for help. Another Manjunath, who was standing near the top, stepped in and he too fell unconscious. Before the fire and emergency sleuths could arrive at the spot, they died in the manhole,” police said.
Two arrested
Based on the complaint filed by family members of the deceased, Ramanagara police arrested contractor Harish Kumar and his associate Manoj.