Bhopal: In a heart-wrenching tragedy in Dharnawada village of Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, five men, all aged between 25 and 30, died on Tuesday, reportedly due to carbon monoxide poisoning while attempting to rescue a calf that had fallen into a well.

The incident occurred on a private agricultural farm belonging to retired government official Anil ‘Bunty’ Bhadoriya. The 12-foot-deep well, partially filled with water, turned deadly after the five men entered it one after another in a desperate bid to save the calf but failed to return. A sixth man, who also descended into the well, managed to escape.

Eyewitness Radha Mohan stated that residents were the first to respond before rescue operations were taken over by the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF), along with CISF personnel from nearby NFL and GAIL units.

Guna district collector Kishore Kanyal said, “Prima facie, the cause of death appears to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigations are underway to determine the exact sequence of events and the circumstances that led to the calf’s fall. Compensation will be extended to the bereaved families.”

The deceased have been identified as Shivdayal Sahu and Gurdayal Okha (both Gau Sevaks), and Mannu Kushwah, Siddharth Saharia, and Sonu Kushwah.

Despite coordinated efforts from emergency response teams, the five men could not be saved, leaving the village in mourning.