Man, 70, dies in Paraguay well collapse; rescue operation hampered by unstable ground

A 70-year-old man, identified as Eulalio Cardozo, died tragically in Villa Elisa, Paraguay, after a well he was working in collapsed, burying him under 9 to 12 meters of earth. Volunteer firefighters mounted a difficult, hours-long rescue operation to recover his body.

The rescue was complicated by the unstable ground and the constant risk of further collapses. According to Ray Mendoza, the second national commander of the volunteer firefighters, the extraction was completed around 10:24 p.m. after a challenging intervention. "The work was quite arduous, very difficult due to the complications presented by the terrain," Mendoza stated.

Cardozo was located around 6:05 p.m., and rescue teams immediately began stabilizing the area to prevent further cave-ins during the extraction process. Preliminary reports indicate that three men were working in the well when it collapsed. Two managed to escape, but Cardozo was trapped. The other workers were taken for medical evaluation.

The purpose of the deep excavation remains under investigation. Mendoza mentioned that one hypothesis suggests it was for a septic system, while another considers the possibility of extracting materials from the subsoil. The depth of the well, between nine and twelve meters, supports the latter theory.