Mumbai tragedy: 5 people drown in Kalyan well in failed rescue attempt

The NDRF and TDRF were called in to fish the bodies out

Five people, including two fire brigade officers, drowned to death in a well in Kalyan on Thursday afternoon. The incident took place when a labourer went inside to clean the well of Bhimashankar temple. Four others died while trying to rescue him, including the temple trustee and his son, as well as two fire officials.

Hazardous gas
The National Disaster Relief Force and Target Disaster Relief Force reached the spot and began to retrieve the bodies. According to the disaster management officials, due to some hazardous gas produced in the well, the victims could not breathe and, hence, they died. Last week, three labourers died in a manhole in Dombivli MIDC after they went in to clean it. They fell unconscious soon after they went in due to hazardous fumes.

The deceased have been identified as the cleaner Kamlesh Yadav, 35, temple trustee Guna Goswami, 55, his son Rahul Goswami, 30, and fire officers Pramod Waghchoure and Ananta Shelar. The Kalyan police have registered an accidental death report and are investigating the matter.

How it happened
On Thursday, Guna called the labourer to clean the well as it was stinking. They wanted to get it cleaned before Diwali. Disaster management officer Santosh Kadam said, "The labourer went inside the well but didn't come out even after an hour. So the trustee asked his son to check what had happened. The son saw the labourer was drowning, and went in to save him, but started drowning himself. He yelled for help, and his father jumped in to help, but ended up drowning too."

The rescue workers added, "Finally, residents called the fire brigade, but the same thing happened with two of the firefighters. Then the NDRF and TDRF were called to remove the bodies. The fire officials did not have oxygen suits on, because of which they could not breathe. Also, there should have been other officers pulling them up with a rope."

Chandan Gupta, a resident of the Chakki Naka neighbourhood who had called the fire brigade, said, "I saw Rahul Goswami entering the well, and then his father jumping in. We panicked when neither of them responded to our calls. I immediately called the fire brigade but it was terrifying when the firefighters died too. This is first time such a thing has happened."

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