Toxic gas claims lives of two sanitary workers

Victims’ families stage sit-in alongside bodies, blaming officials for failing to provide protective gear

HYDERABAD:

Two sanitary workers died while trying to unblock a choked sewage disposal manhole in Sanghar district on Monday.

The incident happened on Imambargah road, where, according to area residents, the blocked manhole had created problems for several days.

According to the police, three workers entered the manhole, of whom two died of carbon monoxide while the third fell unconscious. They were shifted to the government hospital, where Sunny Pehlaj Gujrati and Shanni Gujrati were declared dead. Daresh Chaman is likely to survive the poisoning, said a medical officer.

The victims' relatives brought the bodies to Sanghar press club and staged a sit-in protest, blaming municipal officials for forcing the men to enter the manhole without protective gear.

They said they would continue the protest until they received justice for the lost lives, while municipal union leader Noor Muhammad Nizamani said the two men were murdered due to relevant officials' criminal negligence.

Shehri Action Committee's Muhammad Raheem Khaskheli said solid waste disposal and sanitation issues had become commonplace in Sanghar due to the negligence and corruption of officials.

The police later negotiated with the protesters, persuading them to give the local administration two days to investigate the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2020.