Four Students Die After Toxic Gas Exposure in Mathura Gurukul Water Tank, Fifth Student Critical

Four students aged 16 to 22 died after inhaling suspected toxic gas while cleaning a 12-foot-deep underground water tank at Maharishi Panini Sanskrit Gurukulam in Vrindavan's Chaitanya Vihar area, Mathura district, on Tuesday night, October 6, 2026, officials said. The deceased were identified as Manu Katare (22), Vishu Sharma (19), Aryan Pandey (16) and Devansh Sharma (17), according to The North Lines and Free Press Journal. A fifth student, Rudraksh, survived and is undergoing treatment. The incident occurred around 10 pm after students detected a foul smell from the water tank. One student entered the tank to inspect it but failed to return; four others then entered one by one in a rescue attempt but all five lost consciousness, police said. People at the gurukulam later pulled them out and rushed them to hospital, where four were declared dead. Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar said the students appeared to have been overcome by toxic gas trapped inside the confined, oxygen-deprived space.

District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured student. The DM ordered a magisterial inquiry to ascertain how the incident occurred, whether the gurukulam had the required recognition, and under what circumstances the students were made to clean the tank. The inquiry will also examine safety protocols and the institution's regulatory status, determining whether the gurukulam's management faces charges of negligence or regulatory violations and whether the institution was operating with proper approvals.

Sources

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