Three perish in tank tragedy

AUSTRALIA: Two brothers and one of their wives have been found dead in an empty water tank on a New South Wales Southern Tablelands property after being overcome by fumes, in what police say is a ‘‘tragic accident’’.

Authorities suspect carbon monoxide poisoning is behind the deaths of the three family members, all aged in their 60s.

It is understood that a 69-yearold man got into the empty inground cement water tank on the farm in Gunning, near Yass, on Thursday to carry out maintenance work.

‘‘There was a petrol pump being used to clean the tank, and that may have been the cause of the build of fumes at the bottom of the water tank,’’ NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis said yesterday.

As a result, the man collapsed at the bottom of the tank, he said.

The man’s 68-year-old brother then jumped into the tank to check on him, but he also succumbed to the fumes and collapsed.

The 69-year-old man’s wife, aged 63, alerted a neighbour before also climbing into the tank to check on the collapsed pair, and she also died, Koutsoufis said.

‘‘It’s an absolute tragic set of circumstances. A tragic accident.

‘‘It’s devastated a family ... and being a small country town, it’s also a devastating outcome for a small town like Gunning. So a lot of people are hurting at the moment.’’

The close-knit town of Gunning has a population of about 450.

The trio were discovered by the neighbour who came to check on them and contacted emergency services just after 6pm on Thursday local time.

The bodies remained in the tank overnight as rescue specialists waited for the gases to dissipate, Koutsoufis said.

The farm is at Oolong, about 10 kilometres from Gunning, which is on the Hume Highway.

Police said autopsies would be carried out in coming days.

They said safety experts recommended placing a pump or engine equipment as far away from the tank as possible to avoid gas buildup, and making sure that there was adequate ventilation.

- AAP