Desk Report,
Man gets stuck in septic tank while trying to retrieve cellphone, others go to rescue him
The mobile phone fell on the toilet commode. Rana Patnaik removed the commode and went down to the septic tank to pick up the mobile phone. Hearing the screams, his brother Shravan Patnaik went to rescue him. Both of them fell unconscious there. Later, three more people went down to the septic tank to rescue them. Four of them, including two brothers, died.
Man gets stuck in septic tank while trying to retrieve cellphone, others go to rescue him
The incident took place in the northern line area of Harinchhara tea plantation in Rajghat union of Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar.
The deceased are two brothers Rana Patnaik (19) and Shravan Patnaik (25); Krishna Ravidas (20) and Nipen Fulmari (30). The ailing Ravi Bunarji has returned home after receiving treatment at the hospital. They are all children of tea plantation workers. Shravan Patnaik’s wife is pregnant. Nipen Fulmari has a wife and two daughters.
Sanjay, a local resident who witnessed the incident, said, “Yesterday, Wednesday, at around 11 pm, I suddenly heard screams in the tea garden. I went and saw some people lying in a pit of a raw toilet. Later, I pulled five people out of the pit, including myself. There was a strong smell and gas in that pit, I myself got sick after coming out of there.” Rajghat Tea Garden Panel Chairman Salim Ahmed quoted witnesses as saying that Rana Patnaik went to the raw toilet adjacent to his house last night. There was a septic tank in a pit of earth under the commode. Rana’s mobile phone fell into the septic tank through the commode. He removed the commode and went down into that pit. Hearing the screams, his brother Shravan Patnaik rushed over. When he went to rescue him, Shravan also got stuck there. Hearing the screams of the people, Nipen Phulmari, Krishna Ravidash and Ravi Bunarji also went down into the pit. Later, local people rescued them and first took them to the Srimangal Upazila Health Complex. From there, they were taken to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital. At that time, four people were declared dead. While the sick Robi Bunarjee was taken to MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
