QUETTA: Seven people, including a man and his two sons, have died after inhaling poisonous gas in an underground water tank in Chaman, a town near the Pak-Afghan border.

The tragic incident took place on Monday when a trader, Mohammad Naeem, went inside the underground water tank of a local market at Tranch road area. However, he fell unconscious in the tank. According to the police, Naeem’s two sons also jumped into the water tank to rescue their father. Later, four more people also went inside the tank for rescue purpose.

“All seven persons fell unconscious due to presence of poisonous gas in the water tank,” Assistant Commissioner of Chaman Zakaullah Durrani told Dawn, adding that rescue workers and police rushed to the site and recovered the bodies after breaking the tank’s roof.

“The presence of poisonous gas caused death of all seven people,” hospital officials said. Later, the bodies were handed over to the families after completing medico-legal formalities. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Naeem, his two sons Muhammad Ghais and Hazrat Bilal, and Nasir Khan, Nisar Khan, Qudratullah and Allah Muhammad.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2020