KATHMANDU, JANUARY 27

Padam Bahadur Thing, 52, and his wife Phul Kumari, 45, who had gone to bed in sound health last night at Bojeni, Shankarapur Municipality on the north-eastern outskirts of Kathmandu, were found dead in the morning.

The deceased's son Surya Bahadur, 26, had to forcibly enter the room late this morning after his parents did not come out of their room. Upon entering the room, Surya Bahadur and neighbours found the couple dead in their bed as if they were in a deep sleep. In one corner of the room was a metal box with ashes from burned firewood. The room was completely closed from inside, leaving no space for ventilation.

Later, police concluded that the couple had died due to lack of oxygen as they had burned firewood inside the ill-ventilated room.

A few days ago, a similar incident took the life of an infant.

The parents of the infant had to be admitted into critical care of the hospital. Three-month-old child of Abhishek Ramtel, 30, and Pasuna Tamang, 28, was found lying unconscious along with the parents at Dadhikot in Bhaktapur. The houseowner had called police and neighbours to forcibly enter the rented room of the young couple after they did not open the door until midday.

Upon entering the room, all three were lying unconscious and were rushed to the hospital.

The infant was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The doctors managed to save the lives of the couple who were in critical condition.

In both the cases, the victims had burned firewood to warm themselves in the closed room. Similarly, the room they were living in was poorly ventilated and the doors and windows were closed from the inside.

Fatalities caused by such incidents have been increasing inside Kathmandu valley in the past few years. Majority of people from under-privileged background, who cannot afford warm blankets and heating system end up lighting up firewood to keep the room warm. But, the fire that needs oxygen to burn utilises all the available oxygen present inside the room. Since the rooms are closed, no new air flow can come inside the room. Eventually, this takes the lives of people inside the room. Moreover, the carbon monoxide gas emitted from coal can lead to immediate death.

Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas. If someone inhales if for around 3 to 7 minutes, it can cause death due to lack of oxygen in the brain. Upon inhaling the gas, people fall unconscious and die peacefully due to lack of oxygen.

Every winter, similar death incidents have been reported across the country as people use heating without caution.

Meanwhile, police and doctors have urged everyone to have a well-ventilated room.

They have also advised one and all to not burn coal inside closed rooms.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 28, 2022, of The Himalayan Times