Four students have died and another was hospitalised after they were supposedly exposed to toxic gas inside an underground water tank at a Gurukul in Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.
The tragic incident occurred at Chaitanya Vihar, where students jumped into the tank in order to clean it after the tank became very dirty, after they found that it had a foul smell, they said.
According to officials, the underground tank was around 12 to 14 feet deep. The students tried to remove the water with a motor first. Some of them then entered the tank to clean it after the water level dropped.
One student became unconscious soon after entering, apparently after being exposed to hazardous gas inside the tank.
In an effort to save the student, four other students went into the tank. The five students lost consciousness. Rescue teams and local officials were notified after the incident and the students were pulled out and taken to hospital.
Four students could not be saved, and one student survived and is now recovering. Their ages at death have varied, with officials saying 17 and 20 years old. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examinations as investigators looked into the cause of the deaths.
Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said the initial assessment indicated that toxic gas may have accumulated inside the underground tank. “The situation was very regrettable and we have reached the site for rescue and relief,” he said.
The incident has also raised questions about Gurukul operation and recognition. The institution had around 200 students enrolled, and about 100 children on the premises, officials said.
The authorities are investigating whether the institution was licensed and approved to operate. A magisterial inquiry was launched for the incident and for safety reasons.
#WATCH | Vrindavan, UP: Four students died after allegedly being overcome by toxic gas while cleaning a water tank. https://t.co/a03YbS32aa
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2026
The tragedy illustrates the grave dangers of entering a closed or underground space without the proper checks for dangerous gases and the proper ventilation and rescue equipment.
A person who collapses in such a room would in turn create a more imminent emergency if an unauthorized person enters it without sufficient protection, as was certainly the case during the Vrindavan incident.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the tragedy and ordered medical treatment for the surviving student and assistance for families.
The administration is investigating the cause of the gas accumulation and whether negligence or lack of safety led to the deaths of the students.
The deaths have left the Gurukul community and the families of the victims in shock, and the investigation will shed light more clearly on the gas and the safety conditions in the underground tank.
