Seven die in Uzbek toilet accident

The accident in the southern rural province of Surkhondaryo occurred when a father and son were digging an overflow pit for an existing outdoor lavatory, the site said, citing the province's prosecutor.

As they were digging the seven-metre (23-foot) pit, the sides of the original toilet collapsed and its contents engulfed the two men.

Five neighbours then rushed to the men's aid, lowering themselves into the pit, but succumbed to poisoning caused by accumulated gas, said the pro-government Internet site.