Four students die while cleaning a water tank at gurukul in Mathura

Bystanders attempt to rescue students who were exposed to toxic gas while cleaning an underground water tank in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, on October 7, 2026 | Photo Credit: PTI Four students died, and a fifth suffered injuries after being exposed to suspected toxic gas while they were trying to clean an underground water tank at a gurukul in the Vrindavan police station area under Mathura district on Wednesday (October 7, 2026).The victims are identified as Devansh Sharma 17, of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh; Aryan Pandey 17, of Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh; Manu Katare 20, a resident of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh; and Vishu Sharma 18, of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.Mathura police said in a statement, “We were informed that a water tank in Vrindavan Gurukulam was smelling and the students entered it to clean it. The first boy to enter failed to emerge and four more followed him. They too failed to come out and bystanders had to rescue them. They were taken to hospital where four of the five have died, their ages ranged from 17 to 20. Their families have been informed, and the bodies have been sent to the mortuary at the District Hospital. The student who survived has been referred to ensure better monitoring. CCTV cameras are being examined, and we are awaiting a complaint from the kin to proceed with legal action.”According to officials, around 150 students attend the Gurukul to study Sanskrit and the District Magistrate (DM) has ordered a magisterial inquiry. The inquiry will determine the circumstances in which students were asked to clean the water tank.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posted on X, “The loss of lives in a tragic accident in Vrindavan, Mathura, is extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families.” Published - October 07, 2026 10:03 pm IST