Manhole Eats Three Men
Three Plumbers Tragically Die After Entering Methane-Filled Manhole in Benoni
Tragedy struck on Monday, October 28, when three plumbers entered a manhole on Bradford Street in Benoni to unblock it but failed to resurface.
Allegedly overcome by toxic methane gas from the sewer line, the men tragically lost their lives.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Services responded after receiving a distress call from the plumbing company on Wednesday morning.
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The intense rescue operation, which required widening the manhole for access, ended with the retrieval of the bodies by 3 pm.
According to Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesman William Ntladi, the men were reportedly exposed to lethal methane gas within the manhole.
Witnesses believe the plumbers may not have been equipped with proper safety gear, which could have prevented such a tragedy.
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The men, whose identities are pending family notification, are said to have entered the manhole around 8:30 pm Monday evening.
An inquest docket has been opened by the Ekurhuleni District Police at the Benoni Police Station to investigate the incident further.
