Patna/Gayaji: Three people, including two young children, died of suffocation in Bihar’s Gayaji district on Wednesday after a hearth (angithi) was lit inside a closed room to stave off the cold, according to local officials and family members.
Meena Devi, 60, and her grandchildren, Anshi Kumari, 6, and Sujit Kumar, 5, were found unconscious by the children’s mother in their home in Kurkihar Mahadalit Tola early in the morning. All three were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The family had reportedly kept the room sealed overnight and lit the coal hearth to stay warm amid severe temperatures. “There were no windows open. It appears the smoke and gases caused oxygen deprivation,” a local official said, suggesting asphyxiation as the likely cause of death.
The children’s mother, Kajal Devi, returned to her parental home two months ago while her husband works in Chennai. Other family members, mostly daily-wage laborers employed at brick kilns in Faizabad and Daudnagar, were away for work during the incident.
This is the second such incident in the region this month. On December 21, an 85-year-old woman and a four-month-old baby died in Wazirganj after inhaling fumes from a hearth lit overnight, while the baby’s mother was left in critical condition.
Health officials have reiterated warnings about using coal hearths, sigdis, and other open-fire heating systems in unventilated spaces. “It is not about which appliance is safer – heater, blower, or hearth – but whether the room has adequate ventilation,” said a district medical officer, stressing that smoke can reduce humidity, irritate the eyes, and in extreme cases lead to asphyxiation and cardiac arrest.
Experts say that blocked oxygen supply from smoke inhalation can lead to hypoxia and, in severe cases, cardiac arrest if immediate treatment is not provided. They advise residents to ensure cross-ventilation and to avoid sleeping in rooms where fires or heat sources are burning.
