Surat : One died, three critical after drawing drainage water from SMC manhole

Surat : The unauthorised removal of drainage water from a Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) drainage conduit on Gaurav Path Road in Palanpore, Surat, had catastrophic results for a group of agricultural field labourers. Asphyxiation claimed the life of one young worker, while the Surat Fire and Emergency Department rescued three others, including a young girl in critical condition.

According to witnesses on the scene, the tragic incident occurred on a Monday morning when two farm workers descended the deep manhole without safety equipment. Their perilous mission was to transport drainage water from the manhole to the adjacent agricultural field. When they summoned for assistance, however, tragedy struck, causing two more employees to fall into the manhole sequentially. They, too, succumbed to the toxic vapours in the confined space, necessitating a dangerous rescue operation.

Upon receiving the emergency request for assistance, teams from the Adajan-based Surat Fire and Emergency Department rushed to the site and immediately began a rescue operation.

One of the employees, identified as 20-year-old Darshan Prabhat Solanki, was tragically discovered dead in the manhole. Chandu Dharsinh Gohil (40), Ashmita Dharsinh Gohil (24), and Manish Bharat Rathod (20) were rescued successfully but remained in critical condition.

The fire officer in command of the SMC, Kirti Modh, explained the incident as follows: “The SMC receptacle was located directly in front of a construction site in Palanpore. The farm employees entered the manhole in order to relocate drainage water to an adjacent farm field. Tragically, as they confronted perilous circumstances, they appealed for assistance, prompting two additional employees, including a young girl, to enter the manhole in a desperate attempt to rescue their colleagues.”

This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils of unauthorised access to drainage systems and the significance of following safety protocols when working in hazardous environments. The local authorities are anticipated to investigate the incident further to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to this devastating tragedy.