The body of the teenage boy who drowned in a Lima sewer has finally been found, Lima police announced July 24.
Ray Pomiano Villanueva
After a 12-day search, the body of Ray Pomiano Villanueva was found in the Huaral district of Chancay, approximately 186 miles from where he fallen into an open manhole. Pomiano, who was trying to catch a bus when he plunged in the hole, was swept away by rushing sewage in front of dozens of witnesses.
The boy’s body was found in a sewage drain by fishermen. He was 15 or 16 years old, according to conflicting accounts in Peru21 and El Ojo.
Missing manhole covers are common on the streets of Peru, where thieves trade them on the black market for a few soles each. Sedapal, the city’s sanitation system, is responsible for replacing the covers but has done little to nothing.
Click here to read Israel Ruiz’s summary in Living in Peru.
What a tragic and senseless way to die. I hope that authorities for Sedapal will be held accountable for Pomiano’s death. These open manholes aren’t an aberration in Lima; the streets are full of them. Sedapal should have been refitting the open manholes months ago.
One thought: Give Sedapal a timeline by which to complete all repairs to open manholes. The day after the deadline, blindfold the company jefes and have them cross the streets where manhole covers were missing.
If Sedapal were ordered to follow this plan of action, Lima streets would be restored to civilized conditions very, very quickly.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Alejandro // Aug 1, 2008 at 5:40 am
Quite simply, a sad story…
2 Rosa // Aug 19, 2008 at 10:09 pm
In Downtown Miami they place a grill on manholes they actually weld them to the surrounding concrete. They should do that there. Maybe the teenager’s family can sue Sedapal, monetary punishment sometimes is the only thing that works.
3 Barb // Aug 20, 2008 at 9:48 am
Rosa — The solution you suggest (putting grills) has been made by many intelligent people in Peru, in response to the problem. The solution is clear; what boggles the mind is that Sedapal won’t acknowledge this solution and refuses to take action.
It is so idiotic. Cities all over the world (in Miami, New York, Chicago, Paris) put grills with locks. Peru needs to get with the program.
4 Antonio // Aug 24, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I dont think replacing the missing lids or using grills and welding them to the grouund will solve the issue as long as there is a financial incentive to stealing them. The lids are not being stolen by kids trying to make a prank but by people trying to get some money out of it. I think as well as replacing the lids, a plan should be put in place to catch te people that buys the lids and charge them with Accessory to Murder/Manslaughter since that was the result of their acctions. Getting rid of the people tha buys, melts, and sells the lids would be a good step on solving this problem.
5 Barb // Aug 25, 2008 at 8:59 am
Antonio,
I do think that using locks, as one reader suggested, is part of the solution. Your idea of prosecuting the vendors is another part. The police could easily hunt down the dealers in stolen manhole covers (actually, a decent investigative reporter could do it).
So maybe the problem is authorities are being paid to look the other way, hmmm?
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