Father and son suffocate to death in a well in Lebanon

A Lebanese man and his son have died of suffocation after being trapped in a water well in the town of Mishmish, Jbeil District, central Lebanon, while a Syrian was injured trying to rescue them, the official media agency reported.

The agency said the accident occurred when Charbel Damian was cleaning a seven-metre deep well near his house using a motor that runs on fuel.

According to the agency, Damian suffocated after inhaling smoke from the motor. His 30-year-old son tried to save him but suffered the same fate as a result of the fumes.

A Syrian man who also tried to complete a rescue operation also suffered from suffocation as a result of the smoke but survived the incident.

Civil defence teams recovered all three from the well, but the man and his son were pronounced dead at the scene while the Syrian was transferred to hospital where he is said to be in a critical condition.

READ: Morocco inspects ‘abandoned wells’ to prevent another death