Lagatar24 Desk
Bhopal: Tragedy struck Juhli village in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni district on Thursday when four individuals lost their lives after inhaling suspected toxic fumes from a well. The victims were reportedly exposed to poisonous gas, believed to be methane, while attempting to retrieve a water pump from the well.
According to police reports, the incident began when a water pump, installed in the well, was submerged due to rising water levels from recent rains. Pintu Kushwaha, who went down the well to remove the pump, lost consciousness. In a bid to rescue him, Rajkumar Dubey, his nephew Nikhil Dubey, and Rajesh Kushwaha also descended into the well but were overcome by the gas and fainted.
The local police, along with the State Disaster Emergency Response Force and a forensic team, arrived at the scene following a report from villagers. They recovered the bodies from the well and transported them for postmortem examination. Preliminary findings suggest that the victims died from inhaling toxic gases.
Forensic experts are currently analyzing samples of water and gas to confirm the exact cause of death. In response to the tragic loss, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Voluntary Grant Fund. “The loss of four lives due to the leakage of poisonous gas is heart-wrenching. We will provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the bereaved families,” Yadav stated.
