Two construction workers have died and two others sustained injuries after being buried under earth during excavation work for a sewage system project under the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) in Bangladesh.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, around 4:30 a.m., in the Agrabad B-4 Access Road area of Halishahar in Chattogram city. According to hospital officials and project-related sources, the workers were engaged in a “trial pit” excavation intended to assess soil conditions prior to pipe installation when the accident took place.
The deceased have been identified as Md Rakib, aged 30, and Md Ainul Islam, aged 22. The injured workers, identified as Sagar and Ershad, were rescued along with the deceased and rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Doctors later declared two of them dead upon arrival, while the injured workers are currently receiving treatment in the casualty ward.
Preliminary information from project officials indicates that the excavation had reached a depth of approximately 2.5 metres when a sudden collapse of earth occurred, burying the workers along with equipment. The work was being carried out by a subcontracting firm under China Hydro, the contractor responsible for pipeline installation in the project.
The Project Director, Mohammad Ariful Islam, confirmed the incident, stating that a formal investigation committee is being formed to determine the cause of the collapse and assess whether safety protocols were adequately followed. He also noted that arrangements are being made to secure compensation from the contractor for the families of the deceased workers.
The “Sewerage System Installation in Chattogram City” project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on 7 November 2018. It is designed to significantly improve urban sanitation infrastructure and includes multiple large-scale components.
Key Project Components
| Component |
Specification |
| Sewage Treatment Plant |
Capacity of 100 million litres per day |
| Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant |
Capacity of 300 cubic metres per day |
| Sewer Network |
Approximately 200 kilometres of pipeline |
| Implementing Authority |
Chattogram WASA |
| Contractor |
China Hydro (pipeline works) |
| Planned Completion |
June of the current year |
Authorities say the project is intended to modernise Chattogram’s sewage management system and reduce environmental pollution in the long term. However, the fatal accident has once again raised concerns about workplace safety standards at large infrastructure development sites in Bangladesh, particularly during deep excavation work.
An official inquiry is expected to examine whether proper protective measures, such as trench support systems and worker safety protocols, were in place at the time of the incident.
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