According to public broadcaster NHK, four workers in Japan perished after falling into a manhole close to Tokyo while examining sewage pipes, according to the NHK news agency.
The four men, all in their 50s, and other coworkers were examining a sewage pipe in the city of Gyoda in Saitama Prefecture, north of the Japanese capital, as NHK reported on Sunday.
After a significant road cave-in in January, city officials claim the workers were performing an urgent inspection of sewage pipes.
According to NHK, one of the workers fell down the manhole while the other three of his coworkers were attempting to save him, according to police.
The manhole’s diameter is 60 cm (24 in) and its depth is more than 10 meters (33 ft) according to police.
The incident was also confirmed by the local fire department, according to the AFP news agency.
Numerous emergency and rescue personnel were spotted close to the manhole in video clips released by NHK.
The department reported that rescuers discovered a leak from the manhole containing hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic when high levels are present.
However, city officials refrained from identifying the origin of the initial fall.
It’s too early to discuss our responsibility, a Gyoda city official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, because the details of the accident are still unknown.
According to local media reports, the four workers were found and taken to a hospital where they were later declared dead.
The inspection’s site had about 10 workers on hand to clean the pipes if necessary of sludge and wastewater.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply