KARACHI: An elderly man died of asphyxiation and five of his family members fell unconscious after inhaling smoke as they left a charcoal stove burning inside a room to keep themselves warm in the Ibrahim Hyderi area on Tuesday, police said.

They said that six people were found unconscious inside a house near the W-25 bus stop. They were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors pronounced Shaheen, 60, dead.

The police said that his three sons — Farooq, 32, Umair, 17, and Noman, 16 — Farooq’s wife Robina, 19, and their child Anzala, 2, were admitted for treatment.

The crime scene unit was called at the scene to collect evidence as initially the police suspected that toxic food might have led to the incident as utensils were found while there were signs of vomiting as well, said Ibrahim Hyderi SHO Fahadul Hasan.

He said said that Farooq gained consciousness and told the police that he, along with his wife and daughter, had gone to his in-laws’ house where they had dinner. He said that they family burnt charcoal to keep themselves warm during the cold night.

He said that all family members, except his wife, stayed in the same room where they fell unconscious after inhaling carbon monoxide fumes.

The area SHO said that it appeared to be an accident, but the police were further investigating the case.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2024