Two Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation workers – a driver and a helper – died in a freak accident while unloading the garbage on Tuesday in Imblibun transfer station, Afzalgunj at around 11 am.
According to reports, the vehicle was overloaded and while the driver used the hydraulic component to raise the garbage container. As the container was heavy, the vehicle tipped over and fell into the pit through which the garbage was being shifted to a heavy truck.
The victims have been identified as Arifuddin and Haji Khan.
“The victims drove the DCM van on to the ramp to dump the garbage below into a heavy truck. When the hydraulic container of the DCM van was raised by the victims to dump the garbage, possibly due to overloading, the front portion of the vehicle got off the ramp. The DCM van flipped and crashed below,” Afzalgunj inspector G Venkatesham told the Times of India.
In the accident, while Haji Khan, the driver, died on the spot, Arifuddin succumbed while undergoing treatment in Osmania General Hospital.
Subsequently, the employees protested at the OGH mortuary demanding compensation for the deceased. The GHMC assured Rs 11. 5 lakh ex-gratia and other benefits to Arifuddin, along with the offer of providing job to one of his family members and the protest was called off. Haji Khan's family was promised compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh, along with 50 times the provident fund amount as bonus.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Workers' Union alleged that the incident took place due to poor maintenance. “Poor and negligent maintenance of garbage yards claim workers' lives, sometimes resulting in severe injuries,” said GHMWU president U Gopaal to TNIE.
Meanwhile, the Afzalgunj police have registered a case against the GHMC authorities under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.