LAHORE, Aug 17: Two sewer workers died on Friday and two others fell unconscious reportedly due to toxic gases in a manhole in Nishtar Colony.

Rescue 1122 officials said three brothers – Danish, 21, Heera, 23, and Amanat, 25 -- were cleaning the manhole near Jamia Masjid Ghosia when Danish and Heera fell unconscious and disappeared in the deep water. They all were Wasa employees.

Amanat who was assisting them outside the manhole alerted the passersby and then rushed to rescue them. Soon, he also fell unconscious.

Soon Rescue experts arrived at the site and rushed them to General Hospital. While rescuing an employee of the Rescue 1122 also fell unconscious.

Danish and Heera were recovered dead while the condition of the other two was said to be stable.

The Rescue officials said Wasa employees were cleaning the sewer without safety gadgets which led to the incident.

The deaths sparked a protest among Wasa sewer men who blocked Ferozepur Road holding the Wasa administration responsible for the death of their colleagues.

They chanted slogans against the management for not providing them safety gadgets.

Wasa Managing Director Mian Abdullah suspended SDO (Industrial Area) Irfan Abbasi and Sub-Engineer Amjad Ali from service. He met Wasa Union Secretary-General Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid and announced a Rs200,000 compensation each for the family of deceased employees.

He also visited the houses of the deceased employees and gave compensation to them and also announced one job for the families of the deceased employees.