QUETTA, Jan 1: Four persons of a family died of gas suffocation here on Saturday. "Asphyxiation victims include a woman and her three children in the Tin Town area of Tareen Road," police said, adding that head of the family was found unconscious in his bedroom.

Police said the incident occurred because of intense cold resulting after snowfall in the Quetta and its suburbs, adding that Mohammad Akram Chatta's family had gone to sleep without switching off the gas heater.

Mr Akram's neighbours had informed police after they did not see any member of the family throughout the day. Police shifted all the five persons to the local Civil Hospital after breaking the door of their room.

Mr Akram was still unconscious till the filing of this report.

"The woman and the three children had died because of lack of oxygen," doctors said.

Police said that Mr Akram had recently come to Quetta along with his family from Gujranwala in search of job.

They said he had stayed in a local hotel for a few days before shifting to a rented house in the Tin Town area.

Names of the victims could not be known.