4 suffocate to death in 2 districts from burning stoves lit up to beat cold

Hazaribag/Koderma: Four people died of suffocation after inhaling smoke from the fire which they left burning in their rooms overnight to beat the cold in Hazaribag and Koderma districts, police said on Friday.Farmer Ganga Prasad (55) and Renu Devi, residents of Banadag village under Katkamdag block of Hazaribag district, were found dead on Friday morning by their family members.“The couple had placed a coal sigdi (oven) by their bedside to beat the cold,” Anil Kumar, their son, said.The couple’s family members grew suspicious and entered their room when they did not wake up till late in the morning, only to find them dead.Circle officer Satyendra Paswan, who reached the village, said, “We appeal people not to use coal stoves inside closed rooms during winter, mostly where there is no proper ventilation. We will forward govt for due compensation to the family.”The local weather station in Hazaribag said nighttime mercury dipped to four degrees Celsius in the district in the early hours of Friday.In Koderma’s Purnagar area, Virendra Sharma (55) and his wife Kanti Devi (48) had gone to bed after placing an oven in their bedroom on Thursday night.Jayanti Devi, the couple’s eldest daughter-in-law said, “The family members went to their respective rooms around 11pm following dinner. To beat cold, both the couple took a wood-burning stove into their room.”She further said, “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.”In Chatra, a person died in a similar case on Thursday.Govt official who reached one of the villages urged residents to not use coal stoves inside closed rooms during winter