Nokukhanya Mntambo30 October 2024 | 5:23

3 plumbers who died in manhole weren’t wearing safety gear - Ekurhuleni EMS

Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services said the private contractors were fixing a sewage line earlier this week when they inhaled toxic methane gas.

3 plumbers who died in manhole weren’t wearing safety gear - Ekurhuleni EMS

Ekurhuleni Emergency Services retrieved the bodies of three plumbers who were trapped in the manhole. Picture: Supplied.

JOHANNESBURG - It's emerged that three plumbers who died in a manhole in Benoni were not wearing safety gear.

Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services (EMS) said the private contractors were fixing a sewage line earlier this week when they inhaled toxic methane gas.

Their bodies were recovered on Tuesday.

EMS spokesperson William Ntladi said more investigations were being conducted.

"For now, the information that we have is that it’s a private company that actually had a problem. Apparently, they had a problem with the sewerage system inside the company. They called private plumbers who came and tried to operate and clear up the blockage, and that’s when the incident happened."