Taiz — A tragic accident in southwestern Yemen has left two men dead and five others hospitalized after a mass suffocation incident inside a shallow well in the Jabal Habashi district of Taiz governorate.

According to local authorities, the incident occurred in the village of Sahaba, al-Sharaja area, when a group of men descended into a poorly ventilated well to operate a water pump powered by a diesel generator. 

The generator’s toxic exhaust fumes quickly filled the confined space, causing the two initial entrants—aged 28 and 65—to lose consciousness and die on the spot.

Five others attempted to rescue the victims but were also overcome by the fumes, suffering severe respiratory distress. Emergency teams managed to extract all seven individuals, transferring the five survivors to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment.