Korba, Jul 5 (PTI) A man and his 16-year-old daughter were among four members of a family who drowned in a well due to suspected inhalation of poisonous gas in Chhattisgarh's Korba district on Friday, police said.
The incident occurred in Jurali village under the Katghora police station area of the district, hours after five persons, including a man and his two sons, died under similar circumstances in the Janjgir-Champa district.
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Jahru Patel (60), his daughter Sapina, and two other members of the family, Shivcharan Patel (45) and Manbodh Patel (57), have died, Korba Superintendent of Police Siddharth Tiwari said.
As per preliminary information, Jahru fell into the well while working on his farm around 1 pm, and his daughter entered the water body to save him, he said.
When the duo did not come out, two others entered the well and fell unconscious, he said.
The police were alerted, and the state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel were also called in, the official said, adding that efforts are on to fish out the bodies from the well.
"Prima facie, it appears that there was some toxic gas inside the well that caused the victims to suffocate and drown. However, the exact cause of death will be known after investigation," Tiwari said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident and instructed the district collector to provide Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased in Korba.
Earlier in the day, five people, including a man and his two sons, died due to suspected inhalation of poisonous gas inside a well in neighbouring Janjgir-Champa district.
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