KATHMANDU, MARCH 7
Six members of Syangtan family residing in Nallu of Konjyosom Rural Municipality in Lalitpur had gone to bed last night after having meal inside their under-construction house, but five of them never woke up, while one is struggling for life at the hospital. Authorities have attributed lack of oxygen for their deaths.
Among the deceased are Kaili Syangtan; Susma, 23, Ashish, 9, Ashma, 7, and a two-day-old baby who was found with little life, but succumbed to injuries at the hospital. The sole survivor, Suva Tamang, 22, is also in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at Patan Hospital. The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Patan Hospital.
Formal reports about the cause of death will be made public later. However, police and medical authorities have ruled out homicide. Their preliminary investigations suggest that the tragedy happened due to carbon-monoxide poisoning, a medical term used to explain death due to asphyxiation, especially when there is lack of oxygen in the surroundings due to the burning of fossil fuels and lack of ventilation.
As per Superintendent of Police Siddhi Bikram Shah of Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, the family had gone to sleep on the floor in the same room. As the room had no windows and the roof was made of corrugated zinc sheets, they had lit coal to heat the room.
The family had also used jute sacks to cover the open window to beat the cold.
"Lack of oxygen seems to be the major reason of death," said Superintendent of Police Shah.
The death of the family was first reported by the ward chair of the area, Tirtha Ghalan. Police had reached the site immediately.
At least four similar incidents have been recorded inside Kathmandu valley where multiple family members have died after the onset of winter this year. On January 27, Padam Bahadur Thing and his wife Phul Kumari died due to similar reason in the north-eastern outskirts in Kathmandu district.
On January 20, Abhishek Ramtel, his wife Pasuna Tamang and their infant child also died under similar conditions.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 8, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
