Fatal accidents involving water wells reported in Bolivia and Guatemala

Two separate fatal accidents involving water wells have been reported in Bolivia and Guatemala.

In the locality of Vacas, Bolivia, a 67-year-old woman died after accidentally falling into a water well at her home late on August 27. Local police reported that the incident occurred after the woman and her husband returned home from a social event.

In Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, a 64-year-old man and his 32-year-old daughter died in the village of San Rafael Pacaya 1. The man fell into an artisanal well, and his daughter subsequently fell while attempting to rescue him. Emergency responders from the Guatemalan Red Cross and the National Association of Municipal Departmental Firefighters determined that both victims had inhaled toxic gases in addition to the impact of the fall.