Dubai: Bahrain’s authorities have launched an investigation into the death of three expat sanitation workers while carrying out routine sewage maintenance works in village of Bani Jamrah.
The three Indian victims were found dead at the site in north-west Bahrain on Monday. A fourth worker, also Indian, was taken to hospital where he is fighting for his life.
The 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.
The initial investigation, carried out by the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, revealed the victims were not supposed to be at the site where they were found dead, having left after they finished their maintenance work at at 3.45am.
The victims were found dead in the valve room, 250 metres away from the station and outside the work site.
Authorities are still trying to figure out why the victims went to this room, especially since it required the opening of the valve chamber. The ministry asserted that the valve room was not part of the contractor’s maintenance works or within the scope of the work permit granted to them. Access to the site where the bodies were found required workers to follow certain safety procedures stipulated by the ministry.
An investigation is still underway by the ministry and other government agencies in coordination with the Interior Ministry, to identify the cause and take relevant administrative and legal measures.
A report on the investigation results will shortly be submitted to the Cabinet under the directives of Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Prince Salman had earlier instructed Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to investigate the incident and identify the cause of workers’ deaths and ensure compliance with safety standards.
