Two men, whose identities could not be immediately confirmed, working at a construction site in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, were brought out dead from a well after they drowned while attempting to retrieve a bucket being used to fetch water.
It was learnt that the incident happened around 1:09 pm at a construction site located opposite Ilesa Motor Park along the Ife-Ilesa expressway in Ile-Ife.
Two sources near the scene of the incident, who preferred anonymity to avoid being targeted, while speaking at different times, said the fetcher that the two labourers were used to fetch water dropped inside the well.
They said one of the two men had entered the well in an attempt to retrieve the fetcher but did not come out.
The sources further said the second labourer, having sensed that his partner was drowned, who also entered into the well to rescue him, also got stuck inside, leading to tension as people present were said to have contacted operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as officials of Federal Fire Services for assistance.
When contacted, the spokesperson of NSCDC, Osun State Command, Kehinde Adeleke, told our correspondent that operatives of the Corps and men of Federal Fire Service retrieved the corpses of the labourers from the well.
Adeleke further said, “A tragic incident happened today Thursday 6th June 2024 Opposite Ilesa Motor Park along Ife-Ilesa road, Ile-Ife around 1309hours. Two middle-aged men from Iwo were engaged as workmen on a building project opposite Ilesa Motor Park, Ile-Ife.
“The unfortunate incident happened when the two workmen were fetching water from a deep well and the fetcher accidentally fell into the well.
“According to eyewitness accounts, one of the workmen, in an attempt to retrieve the fetcher, entered the well, but unfortunately, he got trapped and drowned.
“An attempt at rescue made by the second workman got him drowned inside the deep well also. Corpses of the two men were retrieved through the joint efforts of NSCDC and Federal Fire Service operatives.”