KARACHI: A sanitation worker and his teenage son were among three labourers, who died after inhaling toxic gases during cleaning of a sewage manhole in the Garden area early on Sunday morning, according to police and hospital officials.

A fourth sanitation worker fell unconscious and was taken to hospital.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that Union Council-2 chairman Mr Javed had hired four sanitation workers for Rs15,000 for cleaning of a manhole on Siddiq Wahab Road in Usmanabad.

The labourers started cleaning the line at around 1am till early in the morning. At around 6am, one of the workers fell unconscious. The three others entered the manhole to save him but they also fainted after inhaling toxic gases in the drain.

The senior officer said that two of the workers, however, managed to recover their colleague in an unconscious condition, but they themselves passed out inside the drain.

The police, rescue workers and residents tried to save them but two sanitation workers died on the spot. The third one was pronounced dead at the hospital while the fourth labourer was under treatment.

The deceased were identified as Sahir Khursheed, 19, Wishal, 19, and George 45, while the rescued person was Faisal Manzoor, 26.

Garden police SHO Hanif Sial told Dawn that George was the father of Wishal.

The bodies were taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the post-mortem examinations were refused by their families.

The Garden SHO believed that the labourers’ families had reached some ‘understanding’ with the union council chairman about the payment of compensation.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025