Heavy rain claims the lives of two labourers at pipeline site in Bengaluru

Heavy rain claimed the lives of two of migrant labourers who drowned in an inundated pipeline in west Bengaluru's Ullala Upanagara late Tuesday. Another labourer who went into the Cauvery Stage V pipeline site escaped death and managed to come out safely, police said.

The trio had entered the site near Upkar Layout bus stand around 5 pm. The water level in the pipeline rose as heavy rain pounded the city from 7 pm. While one of them, Trilok, escaped the pipeline, Devbharath and Ankit Kumar were not as fortunate. The latter hailed from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

While authorities have fished out their bodies from the site, Jnanabharathi police have detained two contractors in the case. Besides examining the role of the engineers associated with the Cauvery Stage V pipeline project, police are verifying safety measures taken daily and special arrangements made Tuesday due to heavy rain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sanjeev M Patil said.

Police officials also clarified that the labourers didn't drown in a pit dug at the site. A senior officer said contractors must not have allowed the labourers to enter the site fearing inundation due to heavy rain.