NEW DELHI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Six people, including a father-son duo, were killed and one taken ill on Tuesday after entering an under-construction septic tank in India's eastern state of Odisha, police said.
The incident took place at Gauda Karlakhunta village in Kalahandi district, about 415 km west of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha.
"Today we came to know that at Gauda Karlakhunta village, a worker entered an under-construction septic tank but soon experienced breathing difficulties and failed to return. In an attempt to rescue him, six others entered the tank one after another. A total of six deaths have taken place at the spot. One laborer who was removed from the tank in an unconscious state is undergoing treatment at the hospital," a police official said.
Following the incident, police and local government officials rushed to the spot to oversee rescue efforts.
A case has been registered and an investigation ordered into the incident.
Preliminary reports suggest the tank may have contained toxic gas, and the deaths might have been caused by suffocation. ■
