Man dies when dung-infested soil burial stunt goes tragically wrong

Sumit's grandmother said she witnessed the burial and tried to dig him out herself, but was forcibly removed by the men who organised the event. (Courtesy: screen grab)

Locals said the burial site (pictured) was located on the site of a former bio-gas plant, and that Sumit suffocated on gases from cow dung that was buried in the surrounding soil. (Courtesy: screen grab)

JEDDAH: A 17-year-old died in India while performing a stunt that saw him climb into a sack and then get buried under a pile of soil contaminated with cow manure.
It would have earned the man about $170, but instead went tragically wrong when he suffocated from the gases released by the cow dung, British website MailOnline has reported.
Named only as Sumit, he had been asked in June to perform stunts in front of people, in return for an $8-a-week payment, his family explained.
But he was offered an extra $170 to be buried under a 1.5 meter-deep pile of dirt for 24 hours.
Sumit’s mother apparently complained to police, before his death, that people were paying him to perform the stunts, but “no action was taken,” the report added.
Even his grandmother said she begged the men paying Sumit to free him from the soil.
She explained: “I came to know that they buried Sumit in a hole. I approached his employer and urged him to let my grandson out but he didn’t listen… When I tried to unseal the hole myself they sent me away forcibly.”
According to local sources in northern Rajasthan, Sumit died because he had been buried on the site of a biogas factory, his breathing hole was surrounded by cow manure that was emitting gas.
When he was eventually pulled from the ground at the end of the stunt he was unconscious, but still alive. However instead of helping him, the organizers continued to take money from onlookers.
When he was taken to hospital he was pronounced dead, sources said.
One local person explained: “It is claimed Sumit suffocated because the hole was dug on a former bio-gas plant site where cow dung was still embedded in the soil… The combined effect of the gas formation and lack of oxygen caused the death.”
He added: “Also, usually when such stunts are performed organizers dig small tunnels that lead up to the big hole to ensure that some air reaches the performer, but in this case they forgot to do that.”