THE body of a sanitation worker who drowned while doing maintenance work in a manhole in Muharraq was pulled out of the water after 36 hours.
Aslam Mondol, a 33-year-old Bangladeshi, was carried away swiftly in a deluge after a pipe burst while he was working at a depth of less than three metres on Monday morning.
His body was pulled out on Tuesday evening.
Mr Mondol
Two other Bangladeshi nationals – Rasel Sarder, 30 and Shahidul Ahmed, 32 – who were also working along with Mr Mondol managed to escape with injuries.
Mr Sarder suffered injuries on his jawbone and hands while Mr Ahmed sustained a shoulder fracture and bruises all over his body.
They were initially treated at the King Hamad University Hospital and later moved to Salmaniya Medical Complex before being discharged.
“It all happened within seconds,” Mr Sarder told the GDN yesterday from their Manama accommodation.
Mr Ahmed being taken to hospital
He said the three men were working on a sanitation job which involved replacing old manholes with new ones in a Diyar Al Muharraq residential area.
“We were working on dry area and had full safety gear such as jacket, shoes and helmets,” said Mr Sarder who suffered injuries on his jawbone and hands in the accident.
“It was around 5am and we discussed about a possible gas leak and an escape plan if needed.
“Aslam was ahead of us and he was drilling using a jackhammer.
“I told him to alert us if he smelt any gas leak. I was at the end with an access to the bucket that is used in case of an emergency.
“Suddenly, there was a big blast and there was a gush of water from one of the old pipes that burst.
“Everything happened in two seconds.
“The water carried Shahidul and me almost two to three metres away but we struggled to swim back, get into the bucket and escape.
“I saw Aslam falling down with the jackhammer and then he disappeared.”
Both Mr Sarder and Mr Ahmed reportedly fell unconscious when they came out of the manhole.
Mr Sarder
“All I remember is asking for Aslam and then when I opened my eyes I was in hospital,” said Mr Sarder.
According to sources, the three men were employed by subcontractors.
All the three are the sole breadwinners of their families back in Dhaka.
Mr Mondol, who was married, is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.
The employers could not be reached for comment.
The GDN reported in November last year that three sanitation workers suffocated to death in a sewerage tunnel on Budaiya Highway.
Debasis Sahoo, 30, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, 31 and Mohammed Tousif Khan, 32, had inhaled a high concentration of toxic methane gas died while working in the manhole.
A fourth worker, Jag Mohan, was rescued.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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