Bani Jamrah sewage victims 'were not meant to be at the site': Ministry

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The three men who lost their lives yesterday while carrying out sewage maintenance works in Bani Jamrah were not meant to be at the site where they were found dead, it has emerged.  

The victims are Indians Rakesh Kumar, Debasis Sahoo and Mohammed Tausif Khan holding the occupation of Worker, Fitter and Site Inspector respectively. Mr Kumar was an employee of Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi and Sons while Mr Sahoo and Mr Khan were employed by Crown Electro Mechanical Services, News of Bahrain had reported yesterday.

The tragedy also landed a fourth one, also Asian, in hospital.

Work was underway on a project to divert water flow from the F6 pumping station in Bani Jamrah to the treatment plant in Salman City.

While offering condolences to the families of the deceased, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry said that initial investigation indicates that the work team consisting of company employees and ministry technicians had finished their job at the site at 3.45 am on Monday (November 16) and had left. However the three victims later went to the valve room, located around 250 meters away from the station and located outside the work site.

Authorities are still trying to figure out why the victims went to this room, especially since it required opening the valve chamber. The ministry asserted that the valve room was not part of the contractor's work program or within the scope of the work permit granted to them. Access to the site where the mishap occurred required workers to follow certain safety procedures stipulated by the ministry.

Investigation is still underway by the ministry and other government agencies in coordination with the Interior Ministry, in order to determine the cause and to take relevant administrative and legal measures.