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Man dies while cleaning sewer at LNJP hospital, three others hospitalised

NEW DELHI: A 48-year old man on Sunday died while cleaning a sewer at New Delhi's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Three people have also been hospitalised. The incident took place around 12:30 pm. The deceased has been identified as Rishi Pal. Health Minister Satyendar Jain visited LNJP hospital later in the evening and sought a detailed report.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) Mandeep Singh Randhawa stated that they have registered a case under Sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC against the contractor. "We are probing the case from all possible angles," the DCP said.
According to police, on Sunday around 1:15 pm they received a call that two people had fallen unconscious while cleaning the sewer near ward number 14 in LNJP hospital. A police team reached the spot and found three sanitation workers lying unconscious.
The deceased lived with his family in the Welcome area. According to the victim's mother Sheela Devi, he was working as a sanitation worker for the last 17-18 years. The other victims who were recuperating till reports last trickled in were identified as Bishan, Kiran and Sumit. "Bishan could not speak as he had inhaled toxic gas, Kiran was in a similar predicament," said Rakhi, a victim's relative. The heroism of Sumit, however, saved the lives of two other sanitation workers.
Talking about the sequence of events Sumit stated that Rishi Pal was the first to enter the manhole and lost consciousness. In a bid to save him Bhisen and Kiran entered the sewer but the poisonous gases immobilised them. Later Sumit got inside the manhole and fished out all the victims.
It is 10th such death in Delhi in just over a month. On August 6, three men died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a sewer pipe in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar.
The Delhi Jal Board denied that it hired the cleaners. A DJB official said, "They were not our staff. However, we have ordered a probe to find out how these men entered the sewer without authorisation."
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