Seven people have died in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia after an 11-year-old boy descended to the bottom of a well to retrieve the equivalent of 75 cents from the bottom and six other people died trying to rescue him.

The tragic trajectory of events began after a 50-year-old man, Tuy Chen, dropped the money down into the 5-metre-deep well while he was pulling water.

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After trying to retrieve the money and failing, he then walked away leaving in place the bamboo pole he had used to slide to the bottom of the well.

After telling his children about the money, Chen's 11-year-old son returned to the scene and slid down the 16-foot-pole in an attempt to retrieve the 3,000 riels.

At the bottom, the boy fell into a comatose state from lack of oxygen. His sisters, aged 15 and 16 then descended into the well in an effort to rescue the boy but also collapsed and died from oxygen deficiency.

According to reports, four neighbors, including a 12-year-old boy, all attempted to climb into the well to rescue the children but all subsequently died.

An eighth person who endeavored to descend into the well has survived but is in critical condition.

Authorities state that the people were unaware that oxygen heights in the well, although safe during the day, fall to dangerous levels in the evening.

Che Chhan, the 30-year-old sister of some of the dead children told local newspapers that the tragedy was brought about by poverty, stating that the children only went to retrieve the money because they knew that even the smallest amount was important to their poverty-stricken family.

Cambodia is slated as one of the poorest countries in the world with reportedly around one-third of the population subsisting on less than a dollar per day.

TagsCambodia, death, children, well, money, Poverty