Mumbai: Two cleaners - Uma Krishnan (25) and Pandian (22) - were suffocated to death while another escaped death while cleaning a sewer line at Kala Chowkie on Thursday.
According to the lone survivor, Anil Londe, the gas pressure inside the sewer led to the death of his two colleagues. "They could not withstand the gas pressure inside the sewer and they died of suffocation. I turned back after watching the bodies of my colleagues," a traumatised Londe said.
The cleaners were working for RBS Mehta and Co, who were given the contract to clean the sewerage.
Londe complained that the contractor did not provide them with compulsory safety kits, which includes helmets, gloves and masks. "Had they provided us with the necessary equipment, two lives have been saved," said Londe.
Firefighters were called in to remove the bodies of the two cleaners, which were later sent to KEM Hospital for post-mortem.