MOSCOW, July 11 (RIA Novosti) – Three men died in a sewer in southern Russia on Thursday after the first man attempted to retrieve a toy that his son had dropped, investigators said in a statement.
The men were apparently killed by hydrogen sulfide fumes, which often result from the bacterial breakdown of organic matter in areas with little or no oxygen. The deadly gas reportedly reeks like rotten eggs.
According to investigators, a neighbor witnessed the 12-year-old boy’s father falling into the sewer, and rushed over to help but also fell in. Then, while the boy was calling his uncle, who is a police officer, another passerby toppled in. The bodies were later retrieved by rescuers.
