5 men working at Ghaziabad drainage project die of suffocation

Five men working in a drainage project in Ghaziabad were suffocated to death on Thursday as they allegedly did not have safety kits, officials said.

They were working at a project, sanctioned by the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, to connect domestic sewer lines with the main drainage system of the city, District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.

They were employed by a private contractor, which was carrying out the project under 'Amrit Yojna' of the civic body's water department in Krishna Colony near Nandgram area under Sihani Gate police station limits, he said.

Around 1 pm, one of the men went inside the sewer line but did not come out. Then one by one the other four men went inside to find out. When none of them came out, another man went inside and saw the five men lying in an unconscious state, the official said.

The contractor did not provide them safety kits, he added.

The men were brought out and rushed to nearby Mariam Hospital, where doctors declared them dead, Pandey said.

A case has been lodged against the contractor, EMS Infracon, and three of its engineers after the civic body filed a police complaint alleging negligence.

Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Sharma has been directed to take legal action against errant persons and officials, Pandey said.

The deceased have been identified as Damodar (40), Horil (35), Sandip (30), Shiv Kumar (32) and Vijay Kumar (40), all residents of Samastipur in Bihar.

Pandey said the collector of Samastipur has been informed about the incident.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has declared a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of each of those killed.

An enquiry has also been ordered into the incident, which will be conducted by additional district magistrate (city) and the water department.

The report will be sent to the government within two weeks, Pandey said.