Four persons died on Friday after inhaling suspected poisonous gas inside a dry well in Chhattarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

The incident took place in the morning in Kurraha village, some 23 kilometres from the district headquarters, he added.

"The hammer of a mason, Munna Kushwaha, fell into the well. One Sheikh Aslam entered the well to retrieve the hammer but did not come out for long. His father Bashir then got in to find out what was taking Sheikh so long. He was followed by Kushwaha and Aslam's son Altaf," the official said.

After villagers alerted local authorities, the four were taken out of the well and rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival, he said.

It is suspected that poisonous gas from a septic tank nearby may have entered the well, the official said.

Chhattarpur Superintendent of Police Agam Jain said a case has been registered and further probe was underway, adding the post mortem report will provide more leads.

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