Four young men have died in a tragic accident on Sunday evening while cleaning a community well in Bumpeh Town, Nimikoro Chiefdom Kono District.

The incident occurred as the men were engaged in a community service project to maintain the well, a vital resource for local residents.

According to sources, the young men were engaged in a community service initiative to clean and maintain the well. Two of them were inside the well, handling the nozzle and sucker of a pumping machine, while the other two monitored the process from above.

Unfortunately, within moments, the two men inside the well reportedly suffocated due to excessive heat and carbon emissions from the machine. Unable to escape, they succumbed to the toxic environment inside the well.

Upon hearing their companions’ distress cries, the two men outside immediately rushed in to assist. However, in their attempt to rescue their friends, they too fell victim to the same suffocating conditions. Instead of saving lives, the rescue effort turned into another fatal encounter, leaving all four young men dead inside the well.

Following the incident, the Motema Division, led by CSP Augustine Kabia, promptly arrived at the scene. The authorities retrieved the bodies from the well, took necessary photographs for documentation, and transported the remains to Koidu Government Hospital for examination.

A thorough investigation has since been launched to determine the exact cause and circumstances of their deaths.