BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Four persons, including a man and his nephew, died after inhaling a poisonous gas in a well in Katni, said officials on Friday. Chief minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident.
The incident occurred in Juhla-Juhli village on Thursday evening. One of the victims, Ram Bhaiya Dube (36), entered the well to fit a water pump and fell unconscious. His nephew entered climbed down the well to save him but fell victim to the same gas. When the duo didn't resurface, labourer Rajesh Kushwaha (30) and Pintoo Kushwaha disconnected power supply to the well and entered it but they too fell met the same fate, the official said.
A person preset at the scene alerted villagers and informed the police. Later, senior officials, including collector Dilip Yadav and Superintendent of Police Abhijeet Ranjan, reached the spot.
A team of mine experts was called in from Umaria and the bodies were retrieved in the wee hours of Friday, the official said and added that mine experts claimed that three types of poisonous gases were emanating from the well.
In his message, the CM expressed his grief over the incident and announced ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh to kin of each person.
