Factory owner, son die after falling inside pickle well in Delhi's Nangloi

New Delhi, Mar 7 (PTI) A factory owner and his son died after falling into a well at a pickle manufacturing unit in outer Delhi's Nangloi area on Saturday evening, police said.

The police were informed by a caller that two to three people had fallen into a well meant to process pickle at a factory in Rao Vihar.

The manufacturing unit operated from the ground floor of a residential building, while its 60-year-old owner, Anil, lived on the first floor with his family.

During the inquiry, it was learnt that the factory had four to five wells of around 10 feet depth where pickles were processed and stored.

"On Saturday, a labourer entered one of the wells for work but reportedly fell unconscious due to suffocation," an officer said.

Seeing the labourer collapse, the factory owner and his two sons, Neeraj and Sandeep, aged 32 and 28, too, went down the well to rescue him.

However, they too fell unconscious due to the lack of oxygen, the officer said.

All four were pulled out of the well by Anil's brother, Subhash, and other locals who rushed after the commotion.

While the labourer and Sandeep regained consciousness, Anil and his son Neeraj remained unresponsive, the police said.

They were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them both dead.

An investigation has been launched to ascertain the exact cause of suffocation and whether safety protocols were followed at the factory. PTI SSJ VN VN