A heartbreaking tragedy hit the festival of Raksha Bandhan in the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh when two brothers drowned inside a deep agricultural well while attempting to retrieve an irrigation pump. The incident occurred on the morning of August 28 in Kariyavali village, under the jurisdiction of the Kailia police station. Festival celebrations quickly gave way to profound grief as the siblings succumbed to suspected poisonous gas that had accumulated inside the well before slipping beneath the water.
Rising Monsoon Waters and the Effort to Save Farm Equipment
Kariyavali village, situated roughly 60 kilometers from the district headquarters in Orai, remains in mourning over the sudden loss of two respected residents. Phool Singh Kushwaha, aged 65, and his younger brother Ramlakhan Kushwaha, aged 55, lived together with their joint family in their ancestral home. Both brothers supported their household through farming and cattle rearing. They owned an agricultural plot on the outskirts of the village, which featured a 60-foot deep well used for crop irrigation. A submersible motor pump had been installed inside the well to draw water for their fields.
Recent heavy rainfall across the region caused the water level in the well to rise sharply, threatening to completely submerge the motor pump and ruin the equipment. To prevent financial loss, Phool Singh and Ramlakhan headed to their farm around 8:00 AM on August 28 to pull the motor out of the well. Their two young grandsons accompanied them to the field. According to the planned retrieval effort, elder brother Phool Singh Kushwaha lowered himself into the 60-foot well using a sturdy rope.
Suspected Toxic Gas and a Fatal Rescue Attempt
Upon descending into the depths of the well, Phool Singh suddenly lost consciousness and fell into the accumulated water. Family members and local villagers suspect that deadly, suffocating gases such as carbon dioxide or methane had built up at the bottom of the unventilated well during the rainy period. The severe lack of oxygen rendered Phool Singh unconscious within seconds of entering the confined space.
Watching his elder brother collapse and sink into the water, Ramlakhan Kushwaha immediately descended into the well using the rope, desperate to save him without considering his own safety. Tragically, the concentration of toxic gas inside the well was so high that Ramlakhan also lost consciousness almost instantly upon reaching the lower section. Both brothers were unable to escape and drowned in the deep water. Standing at the top of the well, the two grandsons witnessed the tragic turn of events and raised an alarm, prompting nearby farmers to rush to the spot.
Emergency Operations and Retrieval of Bodies
Arriving at the scene, villagers peered into the well and saw the motionless bodies of the brothers in the water. They immediately notified local police authorities and district officials. Kailia police station in-charge Avnish Patel arrived at the site with a police contingent shortly after being alerted. Given the complexity of the situation, emergency services under Dial-112 and a fire brigade rescue unit were summoned to assist in retrieval operations.
The extreme depth of 60 feet combined with high water levels created significant obstacles for the rescue team. Following extensive efforts involving local villagers and fire personnel using ropes and hooks, both bodies were eventually pulled out of the well. Police took custody of the deceased and dispatched them to the district hospital for post-mortem examination. The Kailia police station has initiated an investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Sister Arrives for Raksha Bandhan Amid Tragedy
Phool Singh and Ramlakhan were survived by three sisters. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, their sister Annu was traveling to the village to tie Rakhi threads on her brothers' wrists and pray for their long lives. She arrived at Kariyavali village at approximately 12:30 PM, expecting a joyful reunion, only to learn that both of her brothers had died and their bodies had already been transferred for autopsy.
On a day dedicated to celebrating the bond of protection between siblings, Annu was met with unbearable grief. The tragic loss of two brothers at the same time has left the family devastated and cast a heavy pall of gloom over the entire village of Kariyavali.
