The engineer’s body was recovered from Varthur STP; the search for another missing worker continues

Rescue operations were hampered by heavy rain, poor visibility and the presence of toxic gases inside the sewage treatment plant. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The body of a supervising engineer who went missing after falling into the sewage treatment plant (STP) tank at Balagera near Varthur was recovered in the wee hours of Saturday (June 20) as rescue teams continue to search for another missing worker.

The deceased has been identified as Agilan Mohan (30), a native of Tamil Nadu. His body was recovered around 3.50 am after a night search operation jointly conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services personnel. The body was taken for an autopsy.

The search is on for Brijesh Kumar, a laborer from Bihar, who also went missing after the incident on Thursday night. Rescue operations were hampered by heavy rain, poor visibility and the presence of toxic gases inside the sewage treatment plant. The search was temporarily called off on Saturday afternoon due to adverse weather conditions and is expected to resume on Sunday.

The incident occurred during maintenance work at the wastewater treatment plant operated by BWSSB. Preliminary findings indicate that three workers entered the 40-foot-deep wet well for cleaning and maintenance purposes. While one worker, Karthik, managed to escape and alert his colleagues, Agilan and Brijesh were trapped inside the tank.

Meanwhile, the Varthur police have registered a case of negligence against the contractor entrusted with the cleaning work. Investigators are probing alleged violations of BWSSB safety guidelines and mandatory protocols for confined space operations by Chennai-based VA Tech Wabag and WABAG Limited.

Authorities are investigating possible security flaws in the facility. The Karnataka government has announced a compensation of ₹ 10 crore for the family of the deceased worker. The investigation is ongoing.

Published – 21 Jun 2026 11:25 IST