Infant dies of suffocation from coal fumes in room

Surat: An 18-month-old girl died due to suffocation caused by coal fumes in her house at Varachha area of the city on Saturday. The smouldering coal of a stove used for cooking inside the room emitted fumes suffocating the baby and her parents when they were sleeping.
Rajni was declared dead when brought to Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research (SMIMER).Her father Raju Verma, 26, and mother Chandrakala, 23, were admitted to SMIMER in poor health condition.
"The family got suffocated because of the smoke in the room on Saturday. There was 'khichdi' in an utensil and it was left on the stove that had smouldering coal. The smoke from the smouldering coal got accumulated in the room and made breathing difficult for the family," said C K Patel, police inspector, Varachha police station.
The window and door of the room were closed because of a chilly weather and this only made it more difficult.
"The family members were affected by the smoke. The elders could recover but the child died from suffocation," police said.
Verma is a labourer in a textile unit. The girl was the family's only child.