One dead, another injured while cleaning sewer in Santacruz; no safety gear provided: Police

A 47-year-old worker died, and another was hospitalised after the two entered a municipal sewer chamber while carrying out drainage-cleaning work for a housing society in Santacruz East on Monday (September 28, 2026) morning. Police said the workers had allegedly not been provided any protective equipment.The incident took place around 11 a.m. near Bhavya Niketan society on 8th Golibar Road, opposite V.N. Desai Hospital.According to Vakola Police Station Senior Inspector Navnath Ghuge, the secretary of Bhavya Niketan had hired a retired Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, identified as Jadhav, to get a blocked sewage line cleaned. MR. Jadhav, in turn, allegedly engaged the two workers for the job.Mr. Ghuge said the workers were not provided protective equipment while carrying out the cleaning work.Police identified the deceased as Santosh Ganpat Kashte, 47, and the injured worker as Ajay Dhyanchand Thakur, 26.According to the BMC, the housing society had assigned private personnel, who were not civic employees, to clear its internal sewer line. While carrying out the work, a municipal sewer manhole on the road was allegedly opened without informing BMC staff, following which the two workers entered the chamber.The Mumbai Fire Brigade was called to the spot and rescued both men. They were taken to V.N. Desai Hospital, where Kashte was declared brought dead. Thakur was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for treatment.“Police are awaiting Kashte’s post-mortem examination report before formally registering an FIR,” Mr. Ghuge said.Personnel from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police and a 108 ambulance were mobilised following the incident.Police are probing the circumstances surrounding the workers’ engagement, the alleged absence of safety equipment and their entry into the municipal sewer chamber. Published - September 29, 2026 10:17 am IST