UMERKOT  -  Three villagers lost their lives af­ter inhaling toxic gas when they descended into a well, which had fallen into disuse over three years ago, to clean it and make it usable again in Mehendry-jo-Par village, Khokhrapar region.

The villagers decided to revive the 150-foot deep well to end water scar­city in the area, and hence 50-year-old Sikandar Samijo and 48-year-old Habibullah Samijo volunteered to descend into the well but a few mo­ments later both fell unconscious and stopped responding to their col­leagues standing above on the ground to help them. They had inhaled the poisonous gas, which had accumu­lated in the bottom of the well.

In a heroic yet suicidal attempt to rescue them, 32-year-old Limoon Bheel went down after them through a rope but he too fell victim to the toxic gas and fell alongside his fellow villagers, said the witnesses.

The villagers then arranged an oxy­gen cylinder with the help of which some volunteers went down the well again and brought up the uncon­scious men after hectic efforts but unfortunately none of them could survive, they said. Police officials led by SHO Ratan Singh arrived in the vil­lage soon afterwards and confirmed identities of the deceased.

The local community was in a shock over the loss of two selfless villagers and a valiant rescuer, who risked his life to try to save fellow humans.

The incident underscores the importance of safety protocols for well-cleaning operations and high­lights frenetic struggles of popula­tions in remote areas for securing clean drinking water.