Shakurpur Sewer Incident: Another Sanitation Worker Dies

New Delhi One of the three sanitation workers who had fallen sick while cleaning a sewer in Shakurpur died on Monday at a hospital, police said. On Saturday, Gore Lal, Rohit, Sai and Ashok had entered a sewer near a gas agency.

Ashok died that afternoon and the rest fell sick. They were admitted to the Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in Pitampura. Rohit's condition was critical and he was transferred to the Safdarjung hospital, where he died on Monday.

The condition of the two other workers is stated to be stable, according to a senior police officer. They had been hired by a PWD contractor to clean the sewer. The victims were taken out from the sewer by police personnel and firefighters. Rohit hailed from Madhya Pradesh and his family is yet to be contacted. He used to live at a rented accommodation in Pooth Kalan, the officer said.

On the complaint of Lal, a case under sections 304 (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and 7/9 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act was registered at Subhash Place police station and two persons - - one contractor and one private supervisor - - were arrested, police said. In his complaint, Lal alleged that they were forced into the drain without providing the safety gears, police added.