Rajouri Dec 24: An elderly woman died while six of her family members have been hospitalised after they allegedly suffered asphyxiation from burning charcoal in Potha village in J&K’s Rajouri district.
Official sources told Greater that the family members while asleep on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, inhaled toxic gases emanating from charcoal they had burnt inside the house and fell unconscious.
“The locals noticed it (in the morning) and shifted all of them to CHC Kalakote from where they were shifted to sub-district hospital Sunderbani where the elderly woman died while six other family members were referred to GMC Jammu,” a police official said.
He identified the deceased as Durgai Devi, 80, wife of Kartar Singh of Potha village.
The other family members who have been hospitalized at GMC Jammu have been identified as Pritam Singh, 57, son of Kartar Singh, Neelam Devi, 50, wife of Pritam Singh, Roshi Devi, 18, daughter of Pritam Singh, Jasbir Kumar, 11, son of Pritam Singh, Palki Devi, 9, daughter of Pritam Singh and Raghav Singh, 4, son of Pritam Singh.
An official said that a police team was dispatched to the site of incident for further investigation.