FAISALABAD: Three people have been killed and one critically injured on Sunday after they descended a manhole to clear a blocked sewerage line. The individuals are said to have been killed as a result of coming into contact with a toxic gas.
As per rescue officials, Ashfaq, a resident of Rashidabad, went down a sewer. However, when he failed to return after some time, his brothers Ijaz and Shahzad went down to check on him where they fell unconscious as well. After the three failed to return, another resident Manzar descended the manhole where he found the three in an unconscious state. Manzar too fell unconscious after coming in touch with the toxic gas.
As per local residents, Ashfaq died on the spot while Ijaz and Shahzad passed away after they were rushed to Allied Hospital for treatment. In addition, Manzar remains in a critical state in the hospital.
Following the incident, locals, including relatives of the deceased, took to the streets to protest against the authorities who failed to pay heed to municipal issues of the neighbourhood. The protestors chanted slogans against Water and Sanitation Agency and placed the bodies of the deceased at Akbarabad Chowk disrupting the traffic flow.
