Sitapur tragedy: Four of a family, including 2 infants, die due to suffocation

The victims were identified as Asif, 35, a clerk at a nearby madrasa, his wife Shagufta, 32, and their kids Zaid, 3, and Mayra, 2.

Four members of a family died in their sleep here, apparently due to suffocation after they left a gas heater on inside their room overnight in Biswan police station area, police said on Sunday.

Four of a family, including 2 infants, die due to suffocation (pic for representation)

“The matter came to light after local residents alerted the police on finding the milkman’s knocks at the family’s house kept going unanswered on Sunday morning,” said Abhishek Pratap Ajay, circle officer, Biswan.

The victims were identified as Asif, 35, a clerk at a nearby madrasa, his wife Shagufta, 32, and their kids Zaid, 3, and Mayra, 2.

Police personnel reached the spot, and they broke the door open and discovered the entire family lying comatose on a bed. They were rushed to the Biswan Community Health Center, where the doctors declared them brought dead, added Pratap.

He said that the bodies had been sent for the post-mortem and the exact reason of death would only be ascertained after that. However, he said that prima facie it appeared that leaving the gas heater on through the cold night led to the tragedy.