Several people die of asphyxiation

Victims go to sleep at night after lighting fire, and as a result inhale too much smoke

LAHORE:

Unawareness and negligence claimed five precious lives in the provincial capital last week. All of the victims were labourers.

The victims went to sleep at night after lighting fire to keep themselves warm but didn’t wake up in the morning.

At least four people, including three workers, died in two separate incidents on Tuesday (January 11).

The first case was reported in Sattokatla where three labourers, who had been engaged in construction work, went to sleep at night in an under-construction house in NFC society in Kahna after turning on a heater.

Reportedly, they died during the night due to asphyxiation.

In the other incident, which was reported in Gulgasht Town, a petrol pump manager identified as Naeem went to sleep after lighting wooden sticks. Reportedly, he was asleep while the fire flared up and his quilt caught fire. As a result, Naeem sustained burn injuries.

The fifth death was reported in Lytton Road on Friday. The victim Waqas went to sleep at night but did not turn off the heater.

Rescue 1122 statistics showed that at least 4,000 cases of fire were reported in Lahore only last year. The data showed that the number of people dying of suffocation was higher than the number of people dying of burn injuries.

Read More: Nearly 600 died of coronavirus last month in Punjab

The five deaths last week also one way or the other fell in the same category.

The use of heaters at night in small rooms reduces the oxygen level in the air. The average rate of oxygen is 21%, and if it falls under 16%, a human being begins to have breathing problems.

Burning fire in closed environment also resulted in concentration of carbon monoxide (CO). It is an odorless and colorless poisonous gas. CO was so harmful that it claims a human life in a few minutes, according to the experts.

Lighting fire for heating is one reason of accidents.

Cooking and electrical appliances also contributed to domestic fire incidents.

“Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and is responsible for nearly half of all reported home fires involving cooking equipment. Moreover, unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, meaning that home cooking fires occur most often when people aren’t keeping a close eye on what they’re cooking,” according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

It said that heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fire.

A large number of precious lives are lost due to fire cases that could have been averted if a little care is taken. But this aspect could not be pinned solely on human negligence on part of the poor folks.

Our governments are also equally responsible for such tragedies. Safety lessons and awareness campaigns are missing. The government needs to explain to the public the causes of fire, and how being careful can reduce the number of such cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2022.