Second worker still missing four days after Varthur STP tragedy
The body of the second worker who fell into a sewage pumping wet well at the Belagere Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) near Varthur remains untraced
The body of the second worker who fell into a sewage pumping wet well at the Belagere Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) near Varthur remains untraced even four days after the incident. A massive search operation involving around 150 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services, police, and staff of the accused company continued till Monday evening.
The police said the operation would resume on Tuesday to trace Brijesh Kumar, 27, who went missing after falling into the 40-foot-deep sewage pumping wet well on June 18. “The search operation continued throughout the day with specialised rescue teams. Efforts will resume tomorrow morning,” a police officer said on Monday. Meanwhile, the police said representatives of the accused company had not responded to notices issued by investigators, citing their involvement in the ongoing search operation.
“We will issue another notice tomorrow,” an officer added. The cleaning work at the STP was being carried out by a private contractor engaged by Tech WABAG. The police have booked the company on charges of causing death by negligence, alleging violations of mandatory safety protocols for confined-space operations. The body of Agilan Mohan, the supervising engineer who also fell into the wet well during the operation, was recovered in the early hours of Saturday.
However, despite intensive search efforts by specialised rescue teams, Brijesh Kumar remains missing.
The BriefWire