Khandwa: The deadly gas in the well in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, caused up to eight people to suffocate and die on Thursday.

“Some people went into a well to clean it during the Gangaur Mata celebration, and the event occurred because gas had formed within the well since it had not been used for a long time… Police, the SDRF, and home guards conducted a rescue operation after around eight persons were stuck within the well,” Khandwa Collector Rishav Gupta told reporters.

According to the Khandwa Collector, the government has promised the relatives of all the dead an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh.

“All eight bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem to a nearby hospital,” he said.

In the meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav affirmed that the eight people perished as a result of suffocating in the well’s toxic gas.

“One person who had climbed into a well to clean it for the Gangaur immersion became trapped in the mire in a tragic incident in Kondawat village of the Chhaigaon Makhan area under Khandwa district. Seven other people entered the well one after the other in an attempt to save him, but they also became trapped inside. We have learned with sadness that all eight people died from asphyxia brought on by the noxious gas in the well,” Mohan Yadav said on X.

The chief minister further said that the deceased’s family will get Rs 4 lakh as an ex gratia.

“I offer my sincere sympathies to all the families who have lost a loved one during this time of sorrow. The relatives of all the dead have been instructed to get financial support in the amount of Rs 4–4 lakh. I ask the Almighty God to provide a seat at his holy feet to all devout souls and to give the family members the fortitude to endure this great loss,” he stated. Teams from the state administration and police carried out a coordinated rescue effort.