Tragedy in Mumbai: Man dies after falling into open manhole during torrential rains
Mumbai: A 55-year-old man lost his life on Thursday after accidentally falling into an uncovered manhole during heavy downpours in Mumbai, officials confirmed. The incident, which triggered fierce criticism from political leaders, took place in the Chandivali area of the western suburbs.
Emergency response teams, including the fire brigade and civic disaster management personnel, launched a rescue operation and subsequently recovered the man's body.
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, three contractual labourers had uncovered the manhole to conduct routine maintenance work. The victim, who was reportedly distracted while speaking on his mobile phone, stepped into the open shaft.
CCTV footage from Khairani Road captured the individual, later identified as Aslam Easaf Shaikh, walking past a stationary delivery van before abruptly vanishing from view. The video also showed the contract workers running to the spot and peering down into the open drain. While the workers lowered a ladder in a bid to find him, they discovered only his umbrella and slippers.
Due to the intense, fast-moving underground current, officials initially struggled to deduce which way the victim had been swept. He was eventually located further down the line. "A fireman equipped with breaching apparatus descended into the underground line and the man was pulled out," an official reported. He was immediately taken to the civic-run Rajavadi Hospital, where medical staff declared him dead upon arrival.
The incident has sparked severe political fallout. Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi announced that the civic body intends to lodge a formal case against the private contractor, seeking to hold them criminally responsible for "homicide".
Kishori Pednekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and the Opposition leader within the BMC, expressed outrage over how such a lapse could occur on a major thoroughfare during active maintenance, questioning the blatant lack of safety barricades around the hazard.
Condemning the death as a entirely avoidable tragedy, former MP and Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora demanded immediate accountability. On social media platform X, he wrote: "How many more Mumbaikars must die before basic civic safety becomes a priority? Open manholes are not "accidents", they are result of negligence, failed systems and lack of accountability."The fatal accident also disrupted proceedings in the Maharashtra Assembly. Speaker Rahul Narwekar described the casualty as a grave matter amounting to "culpable homicide", and directed the state government to table a comprehensive statement on the incident before the end of the day's legislative session.
PTI