Benin: tragic death of a well digger during maintenance operation

A young well-digger of Burkinabé nationality, aged 30, lost his life while performing maintenance work inside a well. His unfortunate companion, a 28-year-old man, was able to be saved in extremis.

According to information provided by the Beninese civil protection agency (ABPC), the two professionals had descended into the cavity to carry out maintenance work. In this cramped and poorly ventilated space, the air quickly became unbreathable, suddenly depriving the two workers of oxygen and causing the onset of asphyxiation.

A complex and perilous rescue operation

Rushed to the scene, the ABPC rescuers immediately deployed to the location. On the ground, the extraction maneuver proved to be particularly complex and perilous for the agents. In the absence of isolating respiratory devices, the rescue team had to show ingenuity by using a rescue and fall protection kit to secure access to the well and bring the two victims to the surface.

Despite the rapid deployment of rescue services, the 30-year-old well-digger did not survive. Intensive resuscitation attempts using a defibrillator conducted on the spot by ABPC agents were in vain, and his death was confirmed at the scene of the tragedy. His body was handed over to the elements of the Republican Police for the necessary judicial procedures. The second well-digger, a survivor of this tragedy, was urgently evacuated to the Donga departmental hospital (CHD) for appropriate care.

ABPC reminds of the dangers of the profession

In light of this new fatal accident, the Beninese civil protection agency firmly reminded that the professions of well-digger and interventions in underground environments carry permanent lethal risks.

The agency emphasizes that descending into poorly ventilated depths, without gas detectors or suitable respiratory protection equipment, systematically exposes workers to swift asphyxiation.

For the ABPC, strict adherence to basic safety rules and the use of appropriate professional equipment remain the only essential safeguards to prevent such tragedies in the future.