Nine people, including five from one family, have died from asphyxiation in Jammu and Kashmir in the past six days.
Despite repeated warnings from the Health Department about the dangers of using charcoal or gas heaters indoors, such incidents continue every winter.
On January 1, three young men from Jammu—Mukesh Singh, Ashutosh Singh, and Sunny Choudhary—were found dead in a guesthouse in Bhaderwah, Doda district. They had travelled to celebrate New Year, and a charcoal heater found in their room suggests carbon monoxide poisoning. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the case.
#WATCH | Cold waves continue in Jammu & Kashmir's winter capital, Srinagar, as winter's chill intensifies in Northern India
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2025
Visuals from Dal Lake pic.twitter.com/GxMaqPhXMw
A woman and her son in Gudder, Kulgam, were found unconscious due to charcoal fumes on January 2. The son died, while the mother, Fameeda Akhter, remains in critical condition.
On January 5, a family of five, including three young children, was found dead in their rented home in Sheikh Mohalla Pandrathan, Srinagar. The family, originally from Gingal, Uri in Baramulla, had been using an electric blower for heating. The victims were Ajaz Ahmad Bhat (38), his wife Saleema (32), and their children – Areeb (3), Hamza (18 months), and their one-month-old baby.
In response, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura issued an advisory warning about carbon monoxide poisoning. The advisory stressed that carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless, making it extremely dangerous in poorly ventilated areas.
