Jitra fire and rescue station chief Bustan Karudin said they received an emergency call at 9.29am, with the team arriving at the scene about 10 minutes later.

He said that the two victims, aged 27 and 31, were found in the sewage hole which was approximately 4.5m deep, reported Bernama.

“The firemen used gas detectors to ensure the gas levels at the site were safe before descending into the hole,” Bustan said in a statement.

Bustan said the two victims were successfully brought out but were pronounced dead by officers from the health ministry.

The operation was fully completed at 12.32pm today.

Meanwhile, Kubang Pasu police chief Rodzi Abu Hassan was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying that the two men were allegedly attempting to steal telecommunication cables through the sewage hole.

He also said that the telecommunication company involved had been informed and called to do an inspection.

Rodzi said initial investigations revealed that cables from the telecommunication company had been cut in another manhole located about 30m from the scene.

“So far, the case is classified as sudden death, and both bodies have been sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for the next steps,” he said.