Five die of suspected suffocation inside well at construction site in Meghalaya

Five people, including two brothers who attempted to rescue trapped workers, died of suspected suffocation inside a well at a private construction site in Shillong's Lapalang area, police said on July 11.

The incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Friday under the jurisdiction of Rynjah Police Station in East Khasi Hills district.

According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, four labourers had entered the well to pump out water when they were reportedly overcome by fumes from a generator being used during the operation.

One of the workers managed to climb out of the well and alerted nearby residents. Two brothers from the neighbourhood then entered the well in an attempt to rescue the trapped labourers but were also overcome by the fumes.

Following the incident, the State Rescue Team (SRT) launched a rescue operation and retrieved five people from the well. They were rushed to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), where doctors declared them brought dead.

Police have registered a case at Rynjah Police Station.

The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination, police said, adding that an investigation into the incident is underway.