Tragic Winter Warnings: Family of Five Suffocates from Hazardous Heating Devices in Kashmir

The occurrence unsettled the community as heating devices, particularly those powered by electricity, wood and coal, are commonly utilized in the Kashmir valley to endure severe winters. Representational file photo.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The inexplicable demise of five family members in Srinagar, which included three children, on Monday (January 6, 2025) sharply highlighted the silent threat in the Valley during winters: asphyxiation caused by various heating devices. So far this winter, eight individuals have tragically perished in Kashmir due to apparent suffocation.

A wave of shock and disbelief enveloped the residents of Srinagar’s Pandrathan locality following the discovery of a couple and their three children — among them a 28-day-old infant, an 18-month-old toddler, and a three-year-old — in a rented space. Witnesses reported seeing the family members lifeless in their room on Sunday afternoon after their relatives began inquiring about their welfare due to their unresponsiveness on mobile phones.

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Authorities identified the family patriarch as Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, a chef from Uri in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir. An electric blower was discovered in the room by officials. The police have commenced an inquiry into the incident and have yet to draw any conclusions regarding the fatalities. However, preliminary reports have indicated that the family may have succumbed to suffocation.

The occurrence rattled the residents since heating devices, notably those utilizing electricity, wood, and coal, are extensively employed in the Kashmir valley to withstand brutal winters. Thus far this year, Kashmir has experienced two to three significant snowfall events.

On January 5, a mother and her son were discovered unconscious in their room in Kulgam’s Gudder area. The son, Nisar Ahmad Khan, aged 24, eventually succumbed at the hospital. On December 22 of the previous year, two individuals from Kupwara district also lost their lives due to suffocation in Qamarwari, Srinagar.

Health guidance

There is a rising number of incidents involving heating devices leading to fatalities among residents in Kashmir. The Valley’s leading tertiary health institution, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), has released a public notice urging residents to adopt immediate measures to safeguard themselves and their families. 

“Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that can be lethal if inhaled in significant quantities. The number of patients treated for CO poisoning in our intensive care units has surged drastically, with many needing emergency treatment,” it stated.

Health professionals in Kashmir have collaborated to educate locals on the safe utilization of heating equipment. “Gas, charcoal, and wood-based devices deplete oxygen within enclosed rooms lacking adequate ventilation. This leads to the buildup of harmful and odourless gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. When inhaled, victims may experience dizziness, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion or cognitive disorientation, chest pain (in extreme cases), and can lose consciousness,” said Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah, Head of the Department of Chest Diseases Hospital in Srinagar.

Mr. Shah explained that once carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream, it exhibits “high affinity for haemoglobin, hindering oxygen transport.”

Dr. Abdus Sami, a professor of Pediatrics at Government Medical College in Srinagar, highlighted another alarming trend that poses health risks to children during Kashmir’s winters. He recounted a case where a mother approached him with her two-month-old child who had lost consciousness multiple times. “She noted this occurred only when the baby was inside a ‘pheran’ (a long woollen robe) and never when outside. She was using a ‘kangri’ (an earthen coal pot) inside the ‘pheran’ to keep her child warm. This too is asphyxiation as the ‘kangri’ consumes all the oxygen within the ‘pheran’ and emits carbon monoxide. This practice is prevalent and must be eradicated immediately.”

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader and MLA M.Y. Tarigami called on the government to supply carbon monoxide detectors to households at reduced prices. “The government ought to devise a strategy for the distribution of carbon monoxide detectors at subsidized rates through local agencies,” he proposed.

A carbon monoxide detector triggers an alarm at 20 ppm of CO; it takes 200 ppm to be fatal to an individual.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were among the political figures who expressed their condolences regarding the incident. “People must exercise maximum caution while operating heating devices during the severe winter months. They should follow government-issued guidelines on the safe operation of heating apparatus to avert such tragic events,” Mr. Abdullah stated.