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In the latest incident, two manual scavengers died due to asphyxiation while cleaning a manhole in Bangalore. The incident occurred when two manual scavengers entered a septic tank of a restaurant in AECS layout in Whitefield on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Ravi Kumar (29), and Ramu (35), residents of Kundalahalli in Raichur district. Both of them had entered the septic tank of hotel Yumlok, according to a report by The Times of India.

“The waste from the kitchen and toilets had clogged the drainage pipes. Initially, Ramu let down a rope and went down the septic tank. A few minutes later, there was no sound coming from there. That’s when Ravi got worried and he went down to see what had happened. A few minutes later, there was no sign of Ravi as well. The hotel manager then called fire and emergency services, who alerted us,” said HAL Police Station Inspector Mehaboob to The News Minute.

“Both came to the spot around 4 pm and Ramu stepped into the drain first. After 15 minutes, Ramu was heard calling Ravi. Thinking Ramu needed help, Ravi too entered the drain, which is more than 12 ft deep. The hotel staff assisting the duo grew suspicious when there was no response from them. When they peeped into the drain, they saw both lying dead,” an eyewitness told The Times of India.

Two of them had no safety measures like oxygen mask or any other material. Ramu entered the septic tank first and felt suffocation due to lack of oxygen and collapsed. Ravi jumped into the tank to rescue Ramu, but he too collapsed. The firemen came and pulled out them and they were rushed to Vydhehi Hospital, where both of them were declared brought dead. The restaurant owner Avinash Gupta and the caretaker Venkatesh were arrested by the HAL Police for negligence which caused the death.


Previous Incidents

On January this year, three manual scavengers died of asphyxiation when they went down a 12-ft Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in the basement of an apartment complex at Somasundarapalya, HSR Layout. In March 2017, three men died after they were collapsed in the manhole due to asphyxiation.

According to a report by All India Central Council of Trade unions, 75 manual scavengers died in the state in 34 incidents between 2008 and 2018, but zero convictions were made.

Also read:

Silicon Valley Shame; Three Men Die While Cleaning Septic Tank In Bengaluru

Bengaluru: 3 Manual Scavengers Die From Suffocation After Entering A Manhole

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Editor : Anoopa Sebastian Sebastian

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