Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy rain, poor visibility and the presence of toxic gases inside the sewage treatment facility.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The body of a supervising engineer who went missing after falling into a sewage treatment plant (STP) tank at Balagere near Varthur was recovered in the early hours of Saturday (June 20), while rescue teams continue efforts to trace another missing worker.
The deceased has been identified as Agilan Mohan (30), a native of Tamil Nadu. His body was retrieved around 3.50 a.m. following an overnight search operation conducted jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services personnel. The body has been shifted for post-mortem examination.
The search is still underway for Brijesh Kumar, a worker from Bihar, who also went missing after the incident on Thursday evening. Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy rain, poor visibility and the presence of toxic gases inside the sewage treatment facility. The search was temporarily suspended on Saturday afternoon due to adverse weather conditions and is expected to resume on Sunday.
The incident occurred during maintenance work at the BWSSB-operated sewage treatment plant. Preliminary findings indicate that three workers entered a 40-foot-deep wet well for cleaning and maintenance operations. While one worker, Karthik, managed to escape and alert colleagues, Agilan and Brijesh were trapped inside the tank.
Meanwhile, the Varthur Police have registered a negligence case against the contractor engaged for the cleaning work. Investigators are probing alleged violations of BWSSB safety guidelines and mandatory protocols for confined-space operations by Chennai-based companies VA Tech Wabag and WABAG Limited.
Authorities are examining possible safety lapses at the facility. The Karnataka government has announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the family of the deceased worker. The investigation is ongoing.
Published – June 21, 2026 11:25 am IST
