BHOPAL: Five men, aged between 25 and 30, tragically died believed to be due to carbon monoxide poisoning after entering a private well to rescue a cow’s calf in Dharnawada village of Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in a private well, approximately 12 feet deep and partially filled with water, located on the agricultural farm of Anil ‘Bunty’ Bhadoriya, a reportedly retired government official.
According to eyewitnesses, the men had been plucking mangoes when a calf suddenly fell into the well. In a desperate attempt to save the animal, five individuals descended into the well one after another but failed to return. A sixth man, who also went inside, managed to come out shortly afterwards.
“It was the local residents who initiated the rescue efforts, later joined by the local administration and police rescue teams,” said eyewitness Radha Mohan.
Guna district collector Kishore Kanyal stated, “The deaths occurred prima facie due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It is under investigation how the calf came to fall into the well, ultimately leading to the deaths of the five men. Appropriate compensation will be provided to the bereaved families.”
Rescue operations were carried out by teams from the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF), alongside personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployed at the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) units in Guna. Despite their efforts, the five lives could not be saved.
The deceased have been identified as Shivdayal Sahu and Gurdayal Okha (both Gau Sevaks), and Mannu Kushwah, Siddharth Saharia, and Sonu Kushwah all between 25 and 30 years of age.