Villagers Die Trying to Unblock Sewage Tank in Liaoning
Attempts to rescue a villager who fell into a sewage tank in northeastern China on Friday have resulted in eight deaths and two injuries.
The tragedy happened while workers were attempting to clean a blocked public sewage tank in Yanchang, a village near the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province. More people fell into the tank while attempting to get the first person out, according to China National Emergency Broadcasting (CNEB), a division of state-owned China National Radio.
The two injured villagers are being treated at a local hospital and are in a stable condition, CNEB reported.
Footage from online outlet Pear Video shows the villagers’ lifeless bodies on the ground, surrounded by police officers.
The local police station could not immediately be reached on Friday, and when Sixth Tone contacted the district police station, the officer who answered the phone said that they were not familiar with the situation.
The municipal government of Dalian has opened an investigation into the matter and promised to inform the public of further developments, according to CNEB.
A similar accident occurred six days ago in southern China’s Guangdong province. A 16-year-old girl passed out while cleaning a septic tank. Five other people, including her parents, also lost consciousness when they tried to rescue her. All six died from noxious fumes.
Editor: Kevin Schoenmakers.
(Header image: Wang Yiqun/VCG)