Reports said the concrete water tank, which was constructed by Mizoram public health engineering (PHE) department in 2009 for providing water supply to Saihapui V village, was unutilized for five years.
The officials of PHE department decided to renovate the tank for use and sought the village council's help to clean it. Fiver persons, including three girls, were at the job on April 28. When they entered the tank, they found that it was filthy and full of bats.
H Malsawma (60), Lalbiakmawia (49) and three girls - Lalngilneii (30), Lalremtluangi and Vanlaldini - began to cough and had asthmatic attacks besides high fever the same night.
They had to be taken to hospital.
Lalngilneii was brought to the Civil Hospital in Aizawl on May 18 and she is still undergoing treatment here. She is being provided oxygen regularly. H Malsawma, who was treated at the nearby Vairengte hospital, was brought to the Presbyterian Hospital at Dungtlang near Aizawl where he is is in the ICU since early June. The others are being treated at their homes due to financial constraints and the village leaders decided to seek the help of the PHE department.