2 min readNew DelhiMar 8, 2026 02:31 AM ISTA case of death by negligence has been lodged. After the postmortem examination on Saturday, Afzal's body was handed over to his family.A 26-year-old man died at a sewer construction site in Northeast Delhi’s Sonia Vihar after an earthmover operator accidentally dumped soil into a 15-foot deep he was working in, police said on Saturday.The deceased has been identified as Afzal (26), a resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.According to police, it prima facie appeared that the accident occurred on Friday due to a mistake by an earthmover operator. “Afzal was working in a pit about 15-foot deep when the operator accidentally dumped soil into the pit. He was buried under the soil and was rescued after about 15 minutes. He was taken to the Trauma Centre in Civil Lines, where he was declared dead,” a officer said.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Ashish Mishra said that Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was carrying out sewer work at Third Pushta, with a private contractor executing the project.“Afzal had entered the deep pit to remove some cables when the earthmover operator, without checking, dumped soil into it,” an officer said.Police said local residents initially tried to remove the soil manually to pull the victim out of the pit.Later, with the help of the earthmover, Afzal was brought out and sent to the hospital.Story continues below this adA case of death by negligence has been lodged. After the postmortem examination on Saturday, Afzal’s body was handed over to his family.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:New Delhi