Two men who drowned in a sewerage drain amid torrential rains on Thursday were young migrant workers from the northern province of Hebei, local officials said Saturday.

The two men, aged 19 and 24, were pushing a broken-down Passat sedan on a flooded street in Shijingshan District at around 5:30 pm when one of them fell into an uncovered manhole, according to a district government spokesman.

The other man was also flushed down into the hole trying to rescue his friend. Both of them came from Hebei's Nanpi county and worked for a decoration company in Beijing, the spokesman added. He said the police would not reveal their names until their relatives give consent.

One body was retrieved at 4 pm from sewers some blocks away from the scene at 4 pm Friday. The other body was found buried in mud in the sewers at 9:30 am Saturday, the spokesman said.

Initial investigations show the manhole cover was flushed away by torrents. The water flow was too strong even though the sewerage drain and road were up to standard and well-maintained, the spokesman said.

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