Three treasure hunters were trapped in a well in the heights of 'Elimestan' in the city of 'Amol' in Mazandaran province and lost their lives. ISNA reported on Sunday, April 12, that the bodies of these three individuals were found the day before, along with equipment for 'illegal excavation and a treasure detection device.' Jamshid Nikzad, the head of the Red Crescent Society in Amol, stated that the bodies were discovered after 14 hours of searching. Ali Talebi, the prosecutor of Amol, confirmed that a 'treasure detection device' was found next to the bodies, and one of them was 'the leader of an illegal excavation gang with a criminal record.' Mr. Talebi added that 'two other individuals also lost their lives in this incident, and one person, who was the deputy of the gang leader, has fled.' This judicial official suggested that the cause of death might be due to inhaling gas present in the well, which needs to be confirmed by forensic medicine. The prosecutor of Amol also mentioned that 'due to the escape of one of the suspects, the possibility of intentional death of these individuals is under investigation, and it is still unclear if anything was obtained from this illegal excavation.' According to this judicial official, 'one of the deceased told his brother before heading to the excavation site that if he did not return in a few hours, he should come looking for them at a certain location.' Talebi also stated regarding the identities of these individuals that 'the identification documents left behind show that one was from Tehran, one from Mahmoudabad, and one had a Firuzkuh identification.' The 'Elimestan' forests in the 'Imamzadeh Abdullah' section of Amol have long attracted treasure seekers. Various areas of the northern forests of Iran, believed to be burial sites of ancient objects from the inhabitants of these regions, have been excavated by treasure hunters in recent years. In this context, multiple reports have emerged about the deaths of some of these treasure seekers, with the Iranian newspaper also publishing a report on some of these incidents last week. The deaths of two individuals in the 'Bzcheft' forest in Babol and the activities of gangs excavating and selling antique objects in northern Iran are among the main focuses of this report.
Death of Three Treasure Hunters in the Heights of Amol
Three treasure hunters died after being trapped in a well in Amol, Iran. Their bodies were found alongside illegal excavation equipment, raising concerns about the dangers of treasure hunting in the region. This incident highlights the ongoing risks associated with illegal treasure hunting in northern Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Three treasure hunters died after being trapped in a well in Amol while engaging in illegal excavation activities. Their bodies were discovered alongside equipment used for treasure hunting, raising concerns about the dangers of such pursuits.
- The deceased included a gang leader with a criminal record and two others.
- The incident is part of a broader trend of dangerous treasure hunting in northern Iran.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Illegal treasure hunting has become a dangerous trend in Iran, particularly in areas believed to contain ancient artifacts. This incident is part of a larger pattern of fatalities associated with such activities.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%