Manual scavenging: Two die of asphyxiation at hotel in B'luru

Two workers died of asphyxiation when they were trying to clear a clogged drain of a hotel at AECS Layout in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The victims, Ramu (25) and Ravi (28), both daily wage labourers from Raichur, were living in Bengaluru for the past six years.

The incident occurred around 4.15 pm at 'YumLok'.

"The waste food materials and drainage water from the hotel was getting collected in a sump which had an outlet to the external underground drainage system. This drainage was blocked for the last few days," the police said.

The building caretaker Venkatesh called Ramu and Ravi to clear the blockage.

Ramu first got into the sump and started gasping for breath and collapsed. Ravi jumped in to rescue him but he, too, collapsed.

The hotel staff informed the police, who alerted the Fire and Emergency Services.

The firemen rushed to the spot and pulled out Ramu and Ravi. The victims were rushed to Vydhehi Hospital, where they were declared brought dead. The postmortem will be conducted on Wednesday.

The hotel manager, Ayush Gupta, and Venkatesh have been arrested.

Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar, who visited the spot, said: "We have taken up a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder along with the provisions under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013."

DCP (Whitefield Division) Abdul Ahad said, "We have also picked up BBMP Health Inspector Devaraj for questioning as the hotel has violated several norms."