Two men — a worker and a contractor — died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning an underground drainage line in Gujarat’s Rajkot.
Mehul Mehda, a 24-year-old sanitation worker, collapsed after inhaling poisonous gas while working in an underground sewer located in an industrial area. Afzal Kukur, a 42-year-old contractor who was on-site during the cleaning operation, entered the sewer in an attempt to rescue Mehda, but he also became unconscious.
The fire brigade was called to the scene and successfully removed both individuals from the sewer. They were then transported to the civil hospital, where medical professionals declared them both dead upon arrival.
Last week, the Gujarat government informed the Assembly that in the past two years, 11 sanitation workers had died due to asphyxiation while cleaning drains in the state.
