In a tragic winter incident, four individuals lost their lives in separate events across Hazaribag and Koderma districts of Jharkhand after inhaling toxic fumes from stoves they were using to keep warm. Police confirmed the deaths on Friday, issuing a stern warning against the use of such heating devices in poorly ventilated rooms.
Couple Found Dead in Hazaribag Village
The first incident occurred in Banadag village under the Katkamdag block of Hazaribag district. Farmer Ganga Prasad (55) and his wife Renu Devi were discovered deceased by their family members on Friday morning. Their son, Anil Kumar, stated that the couple had placed a coal sigdi (oven) by their bedside to combat the intense cold.
Family members grew concerned when the elderly couple did not wake up till late in the morning. Upon entering their room, they found the tragic scene. Circle officer Satyendra Paswan, who visited the village, appealed to the public to avoid using coal stoves inside closed rooms during winter, especially where proper ventilation is lacking. He also assured that the administration would forward the case to the government for due compensation to the bereaved family.
The local weather station in Hazaribag recorded that the nighttime temperature had plunged to four degrees Celsius in the early hours of Friday, explaining the desperate measures taken for warmth.
Another Fatal Incident in Koderma
In a horrifyingly similar event in Koderma's Purnagar area, Virendra Sharma (55) and his wife Kanti Devi (48) met the same fate. The couple had retired to their bedroom on Thursday night after placing a wood-burning stove inside to beat the chill.
Jayanti Devi, the couple's eldest daughter-in-law, recounted the sequence of events. "The family members went to their respective rooms around 11 pm following dinner. To beat the cold, both of them took a wood-burning stove into their room," she said. The next morning, they were found lying unconscious on the floor, with blood flowing from their noses. Despite being rushed to the Koderma Sadar Hospital, they were declared dead upon arrival.
A Recurring Winter Hazard
These incidents are not isolated. In a related case, another person died under similar circumstances in the Chatra district on Thursday. Government officials who reached the villages in the aftermath have urgently reiterated the warning, pleading with residents to refrain from using coal or wood stoves in sealed rooms during the winter months.
The primary cause of death in all cases has been identified as suffocation due to carbon monoxide poisoning from the smoke. The invisible, odorless gas builds up rapidly in enclosed spaces, leading to unconsciousness and death. Authorities emphasize that proper ventilation is non-negotiable when using any form of solid fuel for heating.
These back-to-back tragedies highlight a critical public safety issue in the region during the winter season, where dropping temperatures drive people to adopt hazardous methods for warmth, often with fatal consequences.
