Mumbai Rains: Man falls into open manhole in Chandivali, dies; BMC suspends 4 officials

A 55-year-old man lost his life after falling into an open manhole during heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Thursday, prompting widespread outrage and strong reactions from political leaders and civic authorities.

The incident took place in the Chandivali area of the city's western suburbs, officials said.

Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster management department launched an extensive search operation before recovering the victim's body.

According to BMC officials, three contractual workers had removed the manhole cover to carry out maintenance work. The victim, who was allegedly speaking on his mobile phone while walking, is believed to have accidentally stepped into the uncovered opening.

CCTV footage from Khairani Road captured the horrifying moment. The video showed the man, later identified as Aslam Easaf Shaikh, walking past a parked tempo before suddenly disappearing into the open manhole. It also showed workers rushing to the spot and looking into the opening moments after the incident.

Officials said the workers immediately lowered a ladder into the manhole in an attempt to rescue him, but could only recover his umbrella and slippers.

Following the tragedy, the BMC suspended four officials over alleged lapses in safety and supervision.

The Maharashtra government also announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for the family of the deceased, Aslam Shaikh.

Authorities said it was not immediately known whether the open manhole was connected to a sewer network or a stormwater drainage line.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the strong flow of rainwater, making it difficult to determine the direction in which the victim had been swept away, officials added.

After an intensive search, the man was eventually located some distance from the spot where he had fallen.

"A fireman equipped with breaching apparatus descended into the underground line, and the man was pulled out," an official said.

The victim was rushed to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, BMC officials confirmed.

Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi said the civic body would register a case against the contractor responsible for the maintenance work, alleging that the incident amounted to "homicide" due to negligence.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, Kishori Pednekar, described the incident as shocking, questioning how such a tragedy could occur on a busy arterial road while civic work was underway. She also raised concerns over the apparent lack of adequate barricading and other safety measures around the open manhole.

Former Member of Parliament and Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora termed the incident a preventable tragedy and called for strict accountability against those responsible.

"How many more Mumbaikars must die before basic civic safety becomes a priority? Open manholes are not "accidents", they are a result of negligence, failed systems and lack of accountability," Deora wrote on X.

The issue also echoed in the Maharashtra Assembly, where Speaker Rahul Narwekar described the death as a grave matter, saying it amounted to "culpable homicide." He directed the state government to present a detailed statement on the incident before the House concluded its proceedings for the day.