Occupational hazard: Two suffocate to death inside well

The third labourer went in to rescue his colleague but, he too, fell victim to the poisonous gas in the well.

ABBOTTABAD: Two labourers suffocated to death while another fainted and was subsequently hospitalised as they were digging a well in Mirpur union council, locals said on Friday. Naseeb Khan, a resident of Hil Maira village, had hired the services of three labourers on Thursday afternoon to dig a well. While at work, one of the labourers, Abdul Rehman, experienced difficulty in breathing and called his companions to pull him out. Noor Raheem, 28, then went down to help Rehman and take him out with the aid of villagers. While Rehman was shifted to Ayub Medical Complex for treatment Raheem could not manage to get out of the well and fainted there. The third labourer, Qamar Zaman, also went in to rescue his colleague but, he too, fell victim to the poisonous gas in the well.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2014.