Five people, including a man and his two sons, lost their lives on Friday morning due to a toxic gas leak in a well in Kikirda village. The victims were attempting to rescue a man trapped inside the well when they were overcome by the gas.
According to police reports, Rajendra Jaiswal entered the well to retrieve a piece of wood that had fallen inside. As the gas started leaking, he lost consciousness. His wife raised an alarm, prompting people to enter the well to rescue him, but none survived.
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The sequence of events began when neighbour Ramesh Patel entered the well to save Rajendra. He too began to struggle for breath. Ramesh’s two sons, Rajendra and Jitendra, followed in a desperate attempt to save their father. When the four did not return, Tikesh Chandra, another neighbour, went in to rescue them. Unfortunately, the toxic gas claimed all their lives.
Upon receiving the information, the Birra police and the local Tehsildar rushed to the scene. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was also called in. SP Vivek Shukla, who arrived at the site, stated that they were waiting for the SDRF team from Bilaspur. Local divers could not enter the well due to the lack of oxygen masks. The bodies will be retrieved and sent directly to the hospital.
Tikesh Chandra, the last person to enter the well, had been married only three months ago. He was celebrating his wife’s birthday today and had even posted a birthday status on WhatsApp.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He said, “The news of the death of five villagers in the well accident in Kikirda village, Janjgir, is extremely sad. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow.”