Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh [India]: Eight people lost their lives due to suffocation from poisonous gas inside a well in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district on Thursday.
According to Khandwa Collector Rishav Gupta, the victims had entered the well to clean it during the Gangaur Mata festival. However, due to prolonged disuse, toxic gas had accumulated inside, leading to the tragic incident.
“During the festival of Gangaur Mata, some people went inside a well to clean it, and the incident happened due to the formation of gas inside the well as the well was not being used for a long time… Around eight people were trapped inside the well, and a rescue operation was carried out by police, SDRF, and home guards,” Gupta told reporters.
Authorities confirmed that all eight bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem at a nearby hospital. The administration has announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for each victim’s family.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also confirmed the incident, explaining that one person initially entered the well for cleaning but got trapped. In an attempt to save him, seven others followed, but all succumbed to the poisonous gas.
“In a tragic incident in Kondawat village of the Chhaigaon Makhan area under Khandwa district, one person who had descended into a well to clean it for the Gangaur immersion got trapped in the mire, and in an attempt to rescue him, seven others who entered the well one after another also got trapped inside. The sad news has been received that all eight individuals succumbed due to suffocation caused by poisonous gas in the well,” CM Yadav posted on X.
Expressing condolences, the Chief Minister announced financial aid for the affected families.
“In this hour of grief, I extend my deep condolences to all the bereaved families. Instructions have been given to provide financial assistance of ₹4 lakh to each of the deceased’s families. I pray to Almighty God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to their families in this difficult time,” he said.
A joint rescue operation was conducted by teams from the state police and administration.