Overview
- Akshay Mandal was declared dead on arrival and contractor Phulchand Kumar Sahu died at 11:48 pm on November 12 after both collapsed inside a sludge-filled tank at the Raj Grandeur/Raj Grand Doi complex in Powai.
- The incident was reported around 10:42 am, and Mumbai Fire Brigade teams used breathing apparatus to pull the men out before they were taken to Hiranandani Hospital.
- Officials cited suffocation linked to depleted oxygen or toxic gases, and a surviving worker, Sudam Mandal, said only cloth masks were provided and that gases filled the tank when jetting began.
- The men were working for Ultra Tech Pvt. Ltd., and police say they are examining whether safety gear and confined-space protocols were followed; the company and building management have not responded to queries.
- Unions argue the case fits the broadened definition under the 2013 law banning manual scavenging and urge FIRs and compensation, pointing to frequent deaths in sewage-related work despite BMC’s mechanised options.