Five family members die one after the other after jumping into a well to save a pet cat in India

In a rescue attempt that had a devastating end, a family of five all died one after the other after jumping into an abandoned well to save a pet cat.

The five men lost their lives on Tuesday night after piling into a well that was reportedly used as a biogas pit containing animal waste in Wadki village, Maharashtra, India.

According to local media, the cat had fallen into the large well at around 5pm while members of the Kale family entered the poisonous space in a bid to rescue the feline.

One of the family members had climbed into the well first before four more followed suit, but ultimately they were left trapped.

The victims have been identified as Manik Kale, 65, Manik's son Sandeep, 36, Anil Kale, 53, Anil's son Bablu, 28, and Babasaheb Gaikwad, 36.

Footage shows concerned villagers gathering around the bio waste pit in India after six people climbed inside to save a cat that had fallen in 

Five members of the Kale family died while one survived. Vijay Manik Kale, 35, was rushed to hospital for treatment

Dhananjay Jadhav, Senior Police Officer of Nevasa Police station, Ahmednagar, said: 'A rescue team recovered the dead bodies of five of the six people who jumped one after another into an abandoned well-having animal waste stored while trying to rescue a cat'.

Following the five Kale family members' descent into the pit, a sixth person joined the rescue mission, and miraculously survived.

'After that, the sixth person, who also in an attempt to save the others, entered the well with a rope tied around his waist and survived,' the police added.

'He was injured during the rescue process and taken out and rushed to hospital for treatment'.

The sole survivor was identified as Vijay Manik Kale, 35, also a member of the family who died in the tragic accident.

He is reportedly in a stable condition following medical treatment at a government hospital. 

Authorities suspect that group-of-five fell unconscious due to the poisonous gasses emanating from the animal waste filling the well.

Local reports state that people nearby in the village heard the family's groans and yells as they complained of suffocation.  

According to Times of India, one body was pulled out of the toxic sludge at around 11pm on Tuesday night, while the remaining four bodies were removed over the next one-and-a-half hours. 

Senior officials said that two large suction pumps from the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation were deployed to remove the slutty to reach the victims, with five ambulances kept ready at the scene.

Police said an investigation into the matter is now underway.