Karnataka: Farmer trying to retrieve phone dies inside defunct well in Chikkaballapur

SIDLAGATTA: A 32-year-old man was asphyxiated while trying to retrieve his mobile phone that had fallen into a 60-ft dried-up well at Gudihalli village in Sidlagatta, Chikkaballapur.
The deceased is Anil Kumar, 32, a farmer. He left his house around 8am on Saturday and did not return. His brother went looking around 11am and found Kumar's slippers outside the pump house in their field.
As he entered the pump house, he noticed the slab meant to cover the defunct well was moved and a long rope was hanging into the well. Realising his brother had entered the well, he began sliding down to find him.
However, after covering around 15ft, he returned to the mouth of the well as he could not breathe. He then informed his family and villagers, who gathered and informed the authorities. Fire and emergency services personnel reached the village around 2pm and, with the help of a scanner, traced Kumar who was gasping for breath.
They tried various means to rescue him, including providing oxygen through cylinder, but their efforts went in vain. To ascertain the presence of oxygen, they sent down a lamp, which went off at a depth of 50ft, indicating that oxygen was scarce beyond that point. The Sidlagatta tahsildar and police personnel also rushed to the spot and a team of NDRF personnel was pressed into service. The team managed to retrieve the body by 1.30am on Sunday, said Ramakrishnappa, fire officer, Sidlagatta.