Poisonous gas kills four in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: At least four people, including three of a family and their neighbour, have lost their lives in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday while cleaning a well when they inhaled a poisonous gas emanating from it, the police said.

The deaths occurred at Kalwari village in Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The men were trying to clear out the weeds when one person got trapped inside, a police officer said. The other three went in to rescue him but died by the effect of the gas, he added.

Those killed have been identified as Ashok (37), Niyazuddin (32), Bhola (44) and Rahul (20).

Rescue operations were conducted by the local police and sub-divisional magistrate Vageesh Shukla but they failed to pull the men out of the well alive.