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Six die in two days due to suffocation in Valley, health experts sound caution
Five members of a family, including three minors, died due to suffocation caused by a heating device in Srinagar on Sunday, said officials
Death of six persons, including five members of a family, due to suffocation caused by heating devices in the past two days in Kashmir has cast a pall of gloom across the valley with health experts urging people for safe heating practices while politicians demanding the government to provide carbon monoxide detectors to families.
Five members of a family, including three minors, died due to suffocation caused by a heating device in Srinagar on Sunday, said officials.
Officials said that Aijaz Ahmad, 37, his wife, 35, and three children- aged 4,2 and one month- from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, were found dead in their rented accommodation at Pandrethan area of Srinagar.
“In a heart breaking incident, a family of five lost their lives due to suffocation caused by heating equipment (in a closed room),” a government spokesperson said.
Locals said that Aijaz was a cook by profession and was putting up in a rented room in Pandrethan and had covered all the doors and windows with quilts to escape the chilling cold in Kashmir. On Sunday, Kashmir witnessed fresh snowfall.
The bodies, after all legal and medical formalities, were taken to Baramulla where their burial was performed amid sobbing scenes on Monday.
Earlier on Saturday, a mother and son were found unconscious at their home in the Gudder area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district apparently due to suffocation by charcoal fumes. The son lost his life at a hospital while the mother was critical.
Chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic death of five family members in the Pandrethan area of Srinagar city. “The chief minister conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved relatives, praying for strength and patience to help them cope with this irreparable loss,” an official statement said.
While praying for the departed souls, the CM urged people to exercise utmost caution while using heating gadgets during the harsh winter months. He emphasised the importance of adhering to government-issued advisories on the safe use of heating equipment to prevent such tragic incidents.
Expressing serious concern over the rising asphyxiation cases in Kashmir during winter, CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami on Monday urged the government to provide carbon monoxide sensors to households at subsidised rates. Tarigami said that the government should formulate a policy to distribute carbon monoxide sensors at subsidised rates through local bodies.
He added that while the victims cannot be brought back, families should receive compensation as a humanitarian gesture and those in critical condition, due to suffocation, should be provided immediate and free of cost treatment.
Health experts have sounded caution urging people for safe heating practices and devices.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) issued a heartfelt appeal to the public to use the safest heating arrangements during the harsh winter months.
“It is devastating to learn that five members of a single family lost their lives due to suffocation. While it is essential to keep our living spaces warm, safety must remain the top priority. We urge everyone to adopt heating methods responsibly and ensure vigilant safety measures,” said DSK president Dr MY Tak.
Another DAK member Dr Masood Rashid said, “Many families use various heating arrangements. The lack of awareness or a callous approach can lead to disasters. Hotel owners must also educate tourists about the dangers of unsafe heating appliances.”
The body urged local authorities and community leaders to organise awareness campaigns to educate the public about the potential dangers of heating equipment and promote the adoption of safer practices.
Chief priest and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed sorrow and heartfelt condolences over the death of five members of a family in Pandthrethan due to asphyxiation.
“Every day, we hear of lives lost in similar tragedies. This winter alone, many precious lives have been lost. It is imperative that we collectively work to prevent such incidents by creating awareness and ensuring safety measures are followed,” he said.
