Overview
- Police said the homeowner collapsed first while cleaning the underground sump with chemical agents, followed by a plumber and then a delivery worker who each entered to help and were overcome.
- The victims were identified as house owner Munishamappa, plumber Rudrakumar, and delivery worker Vishwanath Achari, with the incident reported near Immadihalli Temple Circle in Bengaluru.
- Neighbours raised the alarm via the 112 helpline, and a Hoysala patrol officer using an oxygen mask entered the pit before the men were pulled out and taken to Manipal and Vydehi hospitals, where doctors declared them brought dead.
- Preliminary findings point to inhalation of toxic fumes inside a confined, poorly ventilated sump that had gone unmaintained for years, with no protective equipment used, according to police.
- An unnatural-death case has been registered, autopsies were conducted at Vydehi Hospital, the bodies were handed to families, and the investigation to determine the exact cause and any negligence is ongoing.