Desperate To Clean Wells Despite Full Smoke Of Water Pump Machines, Youth In East Lombok Dies

The location of the victim died in a well in East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. (ANTARA/HO-Humas East Lombok Police)

MATARAM - Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) together with joint forces evacuated a resident who died in a well in Temanjor Village, Pringgebaya District.

"Victim Sabrillah (19) is thought to have died due to inhaling poisonous oxygen while cleaning a well", said East Lombok Police Public Relations Head Inspector Nicolas Oesmas in Selong, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, July 4.

The incident began when the victim and his friends came to the crime scene (TKP) to clean the well. They took turns going down to clean the well.

Because the volume of water was large and difficult to clean, the victim and his colleagues used a pump machine.

"When the pump engine was turned on, the victim's friend who was below was unable to hold his breath because of the large amount of smoke, and in a weak condition he rose to the surface", he said.

Even though he had seen his friend climb up in a weak condition, the victim forced himself down into the well. The warning from his colleague was ignored considering that there was still a lot of pump engine smoke in the well.

"The victim went down, but not long after, the victim tried to climb up using a rope and was helped by his friends", he said.

However, only half way up, the victim suddenly went limp and was unable to hold on to the rope used to climb up. He then slipped from the rope and fell. In fact, the victim's friend who helped lift the victim also fainted.

Residents who saw the incident immediately took the victim's friends to the community health center to get help. Meanwhile, the victim was still in the well. Residents then reported the incident to the East Lombok Police and BPBD.

Members of the Wanasaba Police and BPBD who received the report immediately went to the crime scene and evacuated the victim's body from the well to the surface.

When the evacuation was carried out, the victim was already lifeless, allegedly due to running out of oxygen while in the well.

"The victim was immediately taken to the community health center for a post-mortem, after which the victim's body was handed over to his family to be buried in the local village", he said.