Three individuals, including two civil protection officers, died on Monday during a rescue operation inside a water reservoir in Tiznit, a city in Southern Morocco.
According to local reports, the victims were involved in clearing the reservoir of mud residues. The initial casualty was reportedly working to empty the reservoir when he became trapped and suffocated.
He was trying to repair a pump when, despite the rescue attempts, two of his companions, including two officers from the civil protection unit, also fell victim to the same fate.
Civil protection teams also faced life-threatening conditions due to the dangerous fumes expelled from the reservoir. Initial investigations suggest that suffocation may have been caused by gasoline fumes from the pump used in the rescue operation.
All four individuals were transported to Hassan I Regional Hospital in Tiznit. Three of them, including the two civil protection officers, were pronounced dead upon arrival.
The fourth individual, who had attempted to save the others, remains in critical condition.