Sanitation worker dies after falling in sewerage chamber, two others hospitalised

Ujjain (MP), Jul 7 (PTI) A sanitation worker died after inhaling toxic gases inside a sewerage chamber in Piplinaka area of the city on Tuesday morning while two other workers were undergoing treatment after falling unconscious while trying to rescue him, officials said. The incident occurred between Piplinaka and Veer Savarkar Square, said Jiwajiganj police station in-charge Prateek Sharma. Ashok, a resident of Ratlam, was descending into a sewerage chamber to clean a choked line when he slipped and fell. Gopal, a resident of Salakhedi Alot, then climbed down to rescue him, followed by Ramesh, a resident of Bherugarh. All three fell unconscious. Supervisor Chandrakant Shukla raised an alarm, the police official said. Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma, who was passing by, stopped his vehicle and immediately initiated a rescue operation, he said. "I got out of the vehicle and cleared the crowd," the SP said, adding that one of the workers who had descended using a rope was pulled out and immediately taken to the hospital. "I informed the traffic police and asked them to facilitate traffic movement on the route. The Jiwajiganj police, municipal employees, the area councillor, and their associates immediately rescued the other two," he said. Ashok, however, died during treatment, police said. According to station in-charge Prateek Sharma, statements from the two unconscious employees, Gopal and Ramesh, were yet to be recorded. If negligence is found, a case will be filed against the private company who had employed them, he said. An official statement issued by the Municipal Corporation said that the sewerage work was being carried out by a private firm. Instructions have been given to provide financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh to the family of the deceased employee Ashok under the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Sewer/Septic Tank Cleaners and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, it added. PTI COR MAS KRK