Madhya Pradesh, April 3: Eight people died inside a well in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday, likely due to inhaling toxic gas trapped in the unused water body, officials said.
The district administration has announced ₹4 lakh in ex-gratia compensation for each victim’s family. The deceased were identified as Mohan (55), Anil Patel (30), Sharan Sukhram (30), Arjun (35), Gajanand (25), Baliram (36), Rakesh (22), and Ajay (25).
The incident occurred around 4 PM in Kondavat village during preparations for the Gangour Mata festival. Five villagers initially entered the well to clean it for immersions but got trapped.
Three others followed to rescue them, but all eight lost consciousness and died, Khandwa Collector Rishav Gupta and SP Manoj Kumar Rai stated.
Rescue teams, including State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) personnel, local police, and villagers, conducted a four-hour operation to retrieve the bodies.
Officials believe the well, largely unused throughout the year, had accumulated toxic gases.
