TAXILA: Three persons died of suffocation while another fell unconscious in a well in Adilzai area of Hazro police station on Tuesday.

Police sources while quoting eye witnesses said that Abdul Qasim, 32, a tube well operator, climbed down the well located at the farm of a local landlord to rectify some fault in the water pump.

Police sources said that he fainted from inhaling poisonous gas accumulated in the well.

Sources further said that as he did not return after quite a long time, a farmer Rajjab Shah, 35, too went down the well to inquire about his condition but he too fainted.

He was followed by Sher Afsar, 42, and Asif Khan to retrieve them but they too did not return.

On getting information, locals of the area retrieved them and shifted them to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital where Abdul Qasim, Rajjab Shah, Sher Afsar expired while Asif Khan was shifted to Rawalpindi for being in critical condition.

Later, the local staged a protest against delayed response of Rescue 1122.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2019