BAHAWALNAGAR: Two sanitary workers died of suffocation by poisonous gases and one other was in critical condition while cleaning a manhole in Chishtian on Saturday.

According to locals and family members of the deceased, three employees of the Chishtian Municipal Committee (MC), Shafiq, Irfan, and Afzal, descended into a manhole in Mahboob Colony to clear a blocked sewerage pipe. They fell victim to toxic gases present inside the manhole as they allegedly did not take safety measures before entering the manhole.

The victims’ family accused Rescue 1122 of a delayed response and claimed that Shafiq and Irfan succumbed to poisonous gasses and washed away in the pipeline due to the negligence.

Meanwhile, locals rescued the third worker and managed to transport him to the Chishtian THQ Hospital on their own. He was later transferred to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital. The heirs claimed MC officials had neither provided the workers with safety gear nor ensured that safety measures were being followed.

Rescue 1122 Incharge Rao Sharafat claimed that rescue personnel were on the spot within four minutes after getting the call. He noted that the workers’ families wanted the teams to immediately descend into the manhole. However, he explained that entering a manhole — only two and a half feet wide and 30 feet deep, and filled with toxic gases — without safety precautions would have put the rescue personnel’s lives at risk. As a result, the rescue crew needed some time to perform the essential safety precautions, he added.

Chishtian MC Chief Officer and assistant commissioner were not available for comments, however, MC sources told Dawn that MC Sanitary Incharge Tariq had been suspended for negligence while a departmental inquiry had been initiated.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident and directed the concerned authorities to submit a report of the incident.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026