Coal stove wreaks havoc on family of six on cold night

A 60-year-old man died and five others, including a woman and a two-month-old infant, fell unconscious due to inhalation of hazardous smoke that accumulated inside the room they were sleeping in thier house in Lashari Para, Korangi No 2, on Tuesday.

Rescuers and police shifted the victims to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), but their transfer to the Emergency Ward faced delay due to a shortage of stretchers at the hospital. They were ultimately carried by relatives to the ward when their condition worsened inside the ambulances.

Ibrahim Hyderi police station SHO Inspector Fahad Hussain said the deceased has been identified as Shaheen, aged 60, while the unconscious victims include 23-year-old Farooq, his wife Rubina, 19, their infant daughter Anzala, and two other family members, Umair, 17, and Noman, 16.

Initial reports suggest that the family might have been exposed to hazardous smoke from a coal stove lit to warm the room during the cold night.