Srinagar: A series of asphyxiation-related deaths in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in 19 fatalities since December 2024, has raised alarms among authorities and experts.
The incidents have prompted urgent calls for residents to adopt safe heating practices and ensure proper ventilation during the harsh winter season.
Details available with the news agency JKNS reveal that from December 2024 to January 10, 2025, six incidents of asphyxiation were reported across J&K. These incidents resulted in 19 deaths and left four individuals hospitalized.
On Dec 18, 2024, six members of a family, including a retired DySP, died in Kathua due to smoke inhalation from a traditional lamp.
On Dec 22, 2024, two men from Kupwara suffocated to death in their servant quarters in Qamarwari, Srinagar.
On Dec 28, 2024, a two-year-old girl died, and three others were hospitalized in Kulgam after using a charcoal firepot in a closed room.
On Jan 2, 2025, three men were found dead in a guesthouse in Bhaderwah, Doda, due to suspected asphyxiation from a charcoal heater.
On Jan 4, 2025, a mother and son in Kulgam were found unconscious due to charcoal fire fumes. The son later died in the hospital, while the mother remains critical.
On Jan 5, 2025, five members of a family from Baramulla died of suffocation in their rented accommodation in Pandrathan, Srinagar.
Authorities have repeatedly cautioned against using unsafe heating appliances in enclosed spaces and emphasized the importance of proper ventilation.
Dr. Syed Mudasir Qadri, Additional Professor, Department of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine at SKIMS, told JKNS, Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer. Every year, we witness numerous cases of carbon monoxide poisoning affecting entire families. Recently, an incident in Pandrathan, Srinagar, claimed the lives of five family members due to suffocation.
Dr. Qadri highlighted that ventilation is crucial for maintaining oxygen levels. “During winters, people rely heavily on heating appliances. Whether it’s gas heaters, charcoal stoves, LPG heaters, or wooden fire heaters, the oxygen levels in closed spaces drop, leading to the production of carbon monoxide—a highly toxic gas. This gas displaces oxygen in the bloodstream and often goes unnoticed until it causes severe damage or death,” he said.
He added, “If carbon monoxide levels reach 1% in the environment, death can occur within 40 minutes. At 10%, fatalities are instant. I urge everyone to prioritize ventilation while using any heating appliances to prevent such tragedies.”
It is important to mention that in a tragic incident on Sunday, five family members, including a husband, wife, and their three minor children, were found dead in their rented accommodation in Pandrathan, Srinagar, where officials stated the cause of death as suffocation. (JKNS)
