A labourer died after allegedly falling into an uncovered manhole while speaking on his mobile phone on Kherani Road in Sakinaka, Andheri East, on Thursday morning, triggering outrage among local residents who blamed civic negligence. The victim, Aslam Shaikh, was pulled out after a rescue operation that lasted more than two hours, while a CCTV clip of the incident went viral on social media, raising questions over safety measures at civic work sites.

Aslam, 55, is believed to have fallen into the manhole between 10.30 am and 11 am. Residents alleged that civic work was underway in the area but the manhole had been left open without barricades or warning signs.