LUCKNOW: Four persons, including a 48-year-old construction worker and his 25-year-old son, who was to get married on June 10, died after inhaling toxic gases inside a septic tank in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district on Sunday evening.
According to Nibua Naurangiya police station SHO Atul Srivastava, Nand Lal Kushwaha of Bahora Ramnagar village entered the septic tank of his house to clean it and fell unconscious because of toxic gases.
"Nand Lal entered the overflowing septic tank and used a bucket to scoop out sewage. He passed out soon afterwards. His son Nitesh called out for him many times and on getting no response, entered the septic tank himself," the SHO said, based on the villagers' accounts.
After Nitesh, too, did not come out, his grandfather Ram Bali called neighbours and relatives for help. Three others - Anand Kushwaha (26), Dinesh Kushwaha (38), Raj Kumar (28) - entered the tank to help Nand Lal and Nitesh, but they, too, were knocked unconscious.
A tank-cleaning machine was then called and police were informed. The five persons were pulled out and rushed to a community health centre, where doctors declared the father-son duo and their neighbours, Anand and Dinesh, dead on arrival. Raj Kumar was referred to the district hospital. DM Ramesh Ranjan announced a relief of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. Ram Bali, who lost his son and grandson, said Nitesh was the only educated person in the family and was a B Pharma graduate.
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