Silchar: Four people lost their lives in a tragic accident while cleaning an underground water tank at a newly constructed house in Arunachal Kumarpara on the outskirts of Silchar on Friday. The incident has left the entire locality in shock and mourning.

According to preliminary information, one person initially entered the underground water tank to clean it but failed to come out. Suspecting something was wrong, three others entered the tank one after another in an attempt to rescue him. However, they too became trapped inside and reportedly lost consciousness due to suspected toxic gas or oxygen depletion. All four are believed to have died inside the tank.

In a courageous act, an RSS volunteer risked his own life by entering the tank and recovered the bodies of the four victims. Following the incident, teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police rushed to the spot and carried out rescue and investigation operations.

The bodies were later sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. The deceased have been identified as Niloy, Champu Paul, Debashis, and Nandan.

Cachar Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), Rajat Kumar Paul, said that the exact cause of the deaths is yet to be ascertained. He stated that a detailed investigation is underway and the actual cause will be confirmed after the post-mortem reports are received.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted the dangers associated with entering confined spaces such as underground water tanks without proper safety measures and adequate ventilation. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths.