Maihar (Madhya Pradesh), July 4 (IANS) Three villagers died and another was critically injured after they entered an abandoned well one after another to rescue a bull that had fallen into it, only to be overcome by the suspected poisonous gas, in Madhya Pradesh’s Maihar district, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred at Kharmaseda village under the Amarpatan police station limits and has left the village in shock.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the well, which had remained closed and unused for a long time, had little oxygen and was filled with toxic gases, causing the victims to suffocate within minutes of entering it.

After the tragedy, villagers carried out a desperate rescue operation before police reached the spot, pulling the victims out of the nearly 35-foot-deep well with the help of ropes and iron hooks.

Police later recovered the bodies, sent them for post-mortem examination and launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Speaking to IANS, Amarpatan Sub-Divisional Police Officer Khyati Mishra said, “The incident took place while villagers were attempting to rescue a bull that had fallen into a well. Three people died due to suffocation inside the well, while one person was rescued alive and is undergoing treatment. A case has been registered, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination and forensic analysis.”

According to the police, the incident took place around 8:30 p.m. on Friday near the house of a person Ramnivas Kushwaha when villagers heard the trapped bull’s cries from inside the well.

Two men initially descended into the well using a rope to rescue the animal but soon collapsed after inhaling the toxic air.

In an attempt to save them, two more villagers entered the well one after another, but they too were overcome by the poisonous atmosphere.

The deceased have been identified as Krishna Kumar Yadav (28), Virendra Yadav (47) and Rahul Yadav (34).

The lone survivor, Ramchandra Yadav (42), was initially taken to the Amarpatan Civil Hospital before being referred to the district hospital in Satna for specialised treatment.

“Four persons were brought to the hospital. Three were brought dead, while Ramchandra was admitted in a critical condition. He was stabilised after primary treatment and referred to the district hospital for further management,” Himanshu Pandey, a doctor at the Amarpatan Civil Hospital, told IANS.

–IANS

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