A body being recovered from the well (Photo: Chanthet, Koh Santepheap).Six villagers died one after another after entering a well filled with diesel fumes in east-central Cambodia, national media reported on Tuesday.
The villagers had decided to use a diesel pump rather than buckets for the annual task of removing contaminated water from the well, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said.
Commune chief Men Sarun was quoted as saying the first man climbed into the well and installed the diesel pump above the waterline, about 2 metres below the top of the 9-metre-deep well. However, he succumbed to the fumes shortly after starting the motor, Men Sarun said.
Another two men then climbed into the well and managed to stop the engine but died too. As the others descended one after another to investigate, they were also overcome, the commune chief said.
The last to die managed to call out a warning before falling unconscious. His action prevented a seventh villager from going into the well.
"Due to these deaths caused by the old well, many villagers who currently use water from the well will never use it again," Men Sarun told the newspaper.
The incident happened in Kampong Cham province, east of Phnom Penh. Cambodia has limited infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, where the majority of its people live, and many Cambodians source water from wells and rivers. - Sapa-dpa
No comments:
Post a Comment