Man trapped in well in Thailand for 3 days after residents mistake his cries for ghosts

For three days, villagers living in Mae Sot district, western Thailand, heard strange noises coming from the forested area near their homes.

Believing that the mysterious sound to be from a supernatural being, fearful locals did not dare to investigate, reported Thai news outlet Thairath.

Turns out, the noises were cries for help from a Chinese man who had fallen into a 12m-deep dry water well, according to Bangkok Post.

The man was discovered on Nov 24 by soldiers patrolling the area — located near the Thailand-Myanmar border — who had heard cries from the forest.

Following the responses to their shouts, the patrollers found the shirtless man who did not speak Thai at the bottom of the well.

The man, identified as 22-year-old Liu Chuanyi, was eventually pulled up by rescue workers in an operation which lasted 30 minutes. He had broken his left wrist and sustained bruises over his body, according to Thairath.

After being taken to hospital, he told a translator that he had not slept in the three days he was trapped, also thanking the soldiers and rescuers for their help.

One rescuer told local media that villagers were scared by Liu's cries, which were heard once every hour and grew louder and more frequent at night.

It was unclear why Liu was in the forested area. Authorities said that a cover will be placed over the well to prevent future incidents.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com