One of the three men missing after rain showers came through has been found dead

One worker has been found dead, while two others are still missing in Moscow after a powerful downpour hit the Russian capital on Sunday. The men were cleaning a sewer pipe when the water level began to rapidly rise.

A total of 12 workers were underground at the time of the accident, according to preliminary data. While some of them managed to make it out to safety on their own, rescuers who arrived at the scene had to extricate five workers who were trapped in the sewer.

However, the news agency Interfax has suggested a different version of events, alleging that the workers were above ground when the downpour started. According to this report, the men were swept into the open manhole by powerful currents of water.

Moscow's public prosecutor's office reported on its Telegram channel that "due to a rise in the water level, three [workers] were not able to make it above ground."

The authorities also posted two videos from the site, the latest of which showed rescuers arranging what looks like a hoisting mechanism above the manhole.

Later in the day, the prosecutor's office issued an update, saying that the "body of one of the workers has been located." The authorities added that the search and rescue operation is still underway. A probe has also been launched to determine whether workplace safety regulations had been properly observed, according to the officials.

(RT.com)