JALALABAD (PAN): At least three people died of suffocation in a well in the Bati-Kot district of eastern Nangarhar province.
Khan Muhammad Khan, a local resident and eyewitness, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the incident occurred last night in the Sipai-Daman village shortly after iftar, when 25-year-old Rozi Khan and his brother Wa Khan were digging in the well.
Family members called for cousins' help when the two brothers lost consciousness. Safiullah, 22, also lost consciousness when he entered the well to help. All three were dead within the hour, Khan Muhammad Khan said.
Police arrived later in the evening and helped recover the bodies, using a fan for ventilation.
IsrarullahQarizada, the Bati-Kot district chief, confirmed the incident.
SaidajanAbdiani, a faculty member at the University of Nangarhar, said that the air in wells contains little oxygen and a great deal of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. He said people should put on masks and carry oxygen cylinders when digging wells.
Underground air can kill humans within minutes without the proper safety equipment, he added.
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