NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old labourer died after allegedly falling into an open sewer manhole in Rohini’s Begumpur area. Though a rescue operation was launched by police and fire department, the man could not be saved on Tuesday.The incident occurred near Mahashakti Kali Temple in Sector 32, Rohini, on a vacant plot. Police identified the victim as Birju Kumar, a resident of Bihar’s Samastipur, who was working as a labourer at an under-construction building.Man pulled out unconscious According to police, a PCR call was received at Begumpur police station around 2.36pm reporting that a man was missing and was suspected to have fallen into an open sewer. “When police teams reached the spot, they were informed that Birju and friend Budhan Das had been drinking and were walking towards their jhuggi on Monday evening when the incident took place. The plot of land belongs to DDA,” a police officer said.“Birju’s friend told police that both of them had consumed alcohol and were walking in an inebriated state around 7.30pm. He said Birju suddenly lost balance and fell into the open manhole. The friend initially lost consciousness due to intoxication and later realised that Birju had fallen into the drain,” the police officer added. The next morning, Budhan Das informed his another friend, Amir Hussain, about the incident. Police said the manhole was about 14 feet deep and around two feet in diameter. An ambulance and water extraction equipment were rushed to the site after DDA and other agencies were alerted. Rescue personnel launched a search operation and eventually recovered Birju from the pit. Delhi Fire Services received a call regarding the incident around 7.45pm, after which they pulled out the man in an unconscious state. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Following the incident, DDA officials covered the open manhole to prevent further accidents. There was no comment from the agency till the time of going to press.
