Tragedy hit Kushinagar district after four people of the same family, including a father-son duo, died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning the septic tank of their house on Sunday morning.
One more family member is undergoing treatment in a critical condition.
Senior police and administrative officers rushed to the spot after learning of the incident and assured help to the family members. They also pacified the villagers who were agitated as the ambulance arrived very late resulting in two deaths.
Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced financial relief of Rs 4 lakh each for all the deceased.
The incident took place in Bahora Ramnagar gram sabha area of Padrauna tehsil in Kushinagar.
Reports said that Nandkumar Kushwaha (45) of Tola Khapardhikka found the septic tank of his toilet overflowing so he along with his son Nitesh Kushwaha (24) entered inside to clean the tank on Sunday morning. Their condition started deteriorating after they inhaled poisonous gas. To rescue them, their relatives Anand Kushwaha (26), Dinesh Kushwaha (38) and Rajkumar also entered the septic tank but they fell unconscious.
Later local villagers somehow pulled out the victims from the tank but by then, Nandkumar Kushwaha and Nitesh were already dead.
The villagers called the ambulance and informed the local police but as the ambulance reached very later, Anand and Dinesh were also pronounced dead upon reaching the community health centre at Kotwa.
The condition of 26-year-old Rajkumar Kushwaha was stated to be critical. He was shifted to the district hospital.
On receiving information, District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan, Superintendent of Police Dhawal Jaiswal, Additional Superintendent of Police Ritesh Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Mahatma Singh and other officers reached the spot and enquired about the incident.
They claimed that prima facie all the deaths were due to the poisonous gas built up inside the tank.
A case was registered and further investigations were on. The bodies were sent for autopsy.
