A 60-year-old man died man died after falling into an uncovered manhole hidden beneath rainwater in Mumbai's Chandivali area amid heavy rainfall, an official said on Thursday.
The victim was reportedly swept into the open drain as severe waterlogging obscured the manhole. Following the incident, teams from the fire brigade and the civic disaster management department launched a search operation and recovered the man's body on Thursday.
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Who Was The Victim?
The man was identified as Aslam Isak Shaikh and a resident of Yadav Nagar in Sakinaka, who could be seen in white shirt walking on the road, fell into the open manhole and got swept away.
Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi said the civic body would register a case against the contractor responsible for the uncovered manhole, alleging "homicide."
Details Of The Tragic Incident
The incident took place on Khairani Road near Sanman Hotel in Sakinaka, where drainage repair work was underway by a private contractor. According to officials, the man reportedly fell into the open manhole while talking on his mobile phone.
The Fire Department officer, A B Sonawane said that they received a call at 12:35 PM regarding an incident in the sewer line. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered that a man had fallen into a manhole.
"We initiated a search operation; however, the water flow was very strong.... Consequently, we opened the next manhole downstream to conduct the search and located him there... We deployed our team and transported him to the hospital. He was unconscious. Most of his body was trapped in the water," Sonawane added.
Preliminary findings suggest the victim inadvertently stepped into the uncovered manhole, which was concealed by rainwater, and was swept away by the strong current. During the search, rescue personnel found his umbrella and slippers near the site, indicating he had likely been carried through the drainage channel by the force of the water.
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Following the alert, teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, 108 ambulance service and civic authorities launched an extensive search and rescue operation. The man's body was later recovered from the drainage line, and officials confirmed his death.
The incident comes as relentless rainfall continues to batter Mumbai, triggering widespread waterlogging and hazardous conditions across several low-lying parts of the city.
Earlier in the day, Dahisar Police rescued another man who had fallen into a drain and become trapped near a fast-flowing water channel. Visuals shared by Mumbai Police showed officers, with the help of local residents, pulling the man to safety.