Two Dead After Entering Sealed Water Tank in Mizoram

Aizawl: Two men are dead and a third is recovering after a failed rescue inside a sealed water tank in Tlangsam village. The accident happened August 12 about 5 km from Champhai town. Four daily wagers were hired to dismantle the six-foot-deep structure, which had been locked shut for years.

Vanlalpeka, 39, climbed inside the tank first. He collapsed immediately. Nearby coworkers Vannunmawia and Ramengmawia rushed in to pull him out. They fell unconscious as well. Baggio Lalhmingthanga spotted the crisis and raised an alarm before heading into the tank to help his friends. Locals and volunteers eventually hauled all four men from the two feet of standing water.

Vanlalpeka, a Tlangsam resident, and 33-year-old Ramengmawia from Chalrang village died while transport teams rushed them to a hospital. Lalhmingthanga received first aid and went home. Vannunmawia remains at a village sub-centre on oxygen support for breathing troubles. Police suspect low oxygen levels caused the tragedy. An official stated, "Preliminary findings indicate that the men may have suffered asphyxiation due to low oxygen levels inside the tank." Investigators are looking into the case.