Two bodies have been recovered from a well, a portion of which caved in at a village in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, an official said on Friday. Five people died after a portion of a well caved in at Piska village on Thursday, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had said.

However, NDRF officials said the toll is still unknown as the rescue operation is still underway.

The incident took place in Piska village, around 70 km from the state capital Ranchi.

"My heart is pained by the sad news of the death of five people in a well in Piska village… May God grant peace to the departed souls, and give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this difficult hour of grief," Soren posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Meanwhile, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said efforts are underway to rescue those trapped inside the well, and that the death toll is not immediately known.

"The incident happened in the afternoon after an animal fell into the well. In an attempt to rescue it, nine people went inside the well, and then a portion caved in," Ranchi SP (Rural) H B Jama said.

An NDRF official told PTI, "Two bodies have so far been recovered. One body had been recovered by the locals on Thursday, while one more during our operation here. Three more people are still trapped inside the well and the operation is underway to rescue them." He said that the body of the ox, which had fallen into the well, was also recovered.

"The well was constructed with boulders. We are facing lots of difficulties in removing the boulders. So, we cannot say right now how long the rescue operation will go," he said.

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