Three die of suffocation after inhaling coal smoke in Rajasthan

Two woman and a three-year-old girl died due to suffocation caused by accumulation of coal smoke in their house in Rajasthans Churu district, police said on Monday.Gayatri 30, her three-year-old daughter, two-month-old son and her mother-in-law Sona Devi 60 were sleeping in a room in which a sigdi or iron stove lit with coal fire was kept to keep them warm, they said.When they did not come out of the room in the morning, Devis husband knocked the door but there was no response.

Two woman and a three-year-old girl died due to suffocation caused by accumulation of coal smoke in their house in Rajasthan's Churu district, police said on Monday.

Gayatri (30), her three-year-old daughter, two-month-old son and her mother-in-law Sona Devi (60) were sleeping in a room in which a 'sigdi' or iron stove lit with coal fire was kept to keep them warm, they said.

When they did not come out of the room in the morning, Devi's husband knocked the door but there was no response. He then sought the help of neighbours and the door was broke open, police said.

The four persons sleeping in the room were found lying unconscious. They were rushed to a hospital where three of them were declared brought dead, they said, adding only the infant survived.

The incident occurred in Sar village in the Ratangarh area Sunday night, police said.

The bodies have been shifted to a mortuary for postmortem, they added.