Shillong: Sunil Thakuri, 34, and his 30-year-old brother Umesh died Friday evening while trying to save three laborers trapped in a narrow well in Lapalang. The brothers lived nearby in Nongrah and rushed to the site after hearing cries for help. They did not realize the 35-foot-deep shaft contained lethal gas.
Landlady Asenla Nongrum witnessed the brothers rush toward the danger. Umesh handed her his wallet and phone before climbing down to assist his brother. Nongrum recalled the final moments before the silence took hold. "We did not know there was poisonous gas inside," she said.
After Sunil called out for his brother and then went quiet, Umesh followed him into the abyss. The brothers and the three trapped laborers all died. Rescue crews from the SDRF arrived two hours later but could not revive the men. Doctors attempted CPR on Sunil, but he died before reaching the hospital.
The brothers served as the primary breadwinners for their family, supporting aging parents and Sunil’s two children. Local authorities are now facing questions about safety protocols for workers in such confined, narrow spaces.
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