A 55-year-old man, Aslam Isak Shaikh, passed away in Mumbai’s Sakinaka area after falling into an open manhole on Khairani Road. The incident occurred while repair work was ongoing on the water drainage system in the area. Shaikh, a resident of Yadav Nagar, fell into the manhole and tragically lost his life.
Following a complaint by a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officer, an offense has been registered against the contractor and workers involved in the repair work at Sakinaka Police Station. Mumbai Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Preliminary reports suggest that safety measures at the work site were inadequate.
Emergency response teams, including BMC personnel and the Mumbai Fire Brigade, made efforts to rescue Shaikh but were unsuccessful. The absence of barricades or safety cones around the open manhole has raised concerns about negligence in public infrastructure works. Family members of the deceased are seeking compensation, highlighting the lack of adherence to safety norms in the city.
Activists and residents have criticized the incident, emphasizing civic negligence and the lack of accountability in public infrastructure projects. An advocate has petitioned the Human Rights Commission over the matter, citing routine negligence in the city. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘Orange alert’ for Mumbai and surrounding districts due to anticipated heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
