Senior officials visited the spot soon after the incident, an investigation by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been ordered, and the district administration has issued a public advisory warning people against using braziers and heaters inside closed rooms during the winter season.
At least four members of a family, including three children and a 70-year-old woman, lost their lives due to suffocation after poisonous fumes from a brazier (angithi) filled a closed room in Bihar’s Chhapra city. Another four family members are in critical condition and are currently undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital. The tragic incident took place late on Thursday night, officials confirmed.
According to police sources, all eight family members were sleeping inside a single room to escape the biting cold. They had lit a brazier to keep warm, unaware of the danger it posed in an enclosed space. As the night progressed, the brazier continued to burn, consuming oxygen and releasing carbon monoxide gas. With no ventilation in the room, oxygen levels dropped sharply, and the toxic fumes gradually caused all eight occupants to lose consciousness.
The tragedy came to light early Friday morning when relatives living on the lower floor went upstairs and found the entire family lying unconscious. Alarmed by the situation, they immediately rushed the victims to Chhapra Sadar Hospital at around 7 am.
Doctors declared four people dead on arrival. The deceased were identified as three-year-old Tezansh Kumar, seven-month-old infant Gudiya Kumari, young girl Adya Kumari, and 70-year-old Kamalawati Devi. The loss of three young children and an elderly woman has left the family and the local community in deep shock.
The four survivors — Arya Kumari (25), Arya Singh (24), Anisha Singh (25), and Amit, also known as Sonu (35) — were admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Doctors said their condition remains serious and they are being shifted to the intensive care unit for advanced treatment and close monitoring.
Following the incident, senior district officials visited the hospital to assess the situation and later inspected the house where the tragedy occurred. The Superintendent of Police of Saran district stated that preliminary findings clearly point to carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the use of a brazier in a closed, poorly ventilated room. An FSL team has been directed to examine the site in detail to confirm the exact cause of death.
The incident has plunged the neighbourhood into mourning, with residents expressing shock and grief over the sudden loss of lives from the same family.
In the wake of the tragedy, the district administration issued a strong advisory urging people to avoid using braziers, coal heaters, or blowers inside closed rooms, especially at night. Officials stressed the importance of proper ventilation and advised residents to keep heating devices outside sleeping areas to prevent the buildup of toxic gases.
Authorities have appealed to the public to remain cautious during the winter season and follow safety guidelines strictly, warning that even common heating methods can turn fatal if used carelessly in enclosed spaces.
