A newlywed couple from Karachi died of suffocation in a guesthouse in Neelum Valley, reportedly due to gas inhalation, Express News reported.
The victims, identified as 25-year-old Syed Muhammad Taha, a mechanical engineer, and his 22-year-old wife, Dua Zahra, a business administration student, had traveled to the valley for their honeymoon. They had checked into a guesthouse in a village about 145 kilometres from Muzaffarabad.
According to the deputy commissioner, the couple turned on a gas heater to keep warm as temperatures plummeted to minus 10 degrees Celsius. They also sealed the room by shutting all windows and doors.
"The guesthouse staff had advised them to move the gas cylinder outside after half an hour, but they did not do so," an official said.
On Saturday morning, when the staff knocked on doors to wake up guests, the couple did not respond, raising concern. The District Disaster Management Authority was alerted, and when officials forced open the door, they found the couple lifeless—Dua lying on the bed and Taha collapsed on the floor.
Their bodies were later moved to Muzaffarabad for legal formalities before being handed over to their families. The remains were then transported to Islamabad Airport’s cargo terminal for a flight to Karachi at 4 p.m.
According to Edhi officials, the bodies will be taken to their residence in Malir’s Jafar Tayyar area upon arrival in Karachi.
The couple had married on February 4, with their walima held on February 8. They had left Karachi by train on February 11 for their honeymoon.
Relatives said their last phone conversation with the couple was on Friday night at 9 p.m. “They were supposed to check out of the guesthouse on Saturday morning and travel to Neelum Valley,” a family member said.
Police confirmed that gas had accumulated in the room due to the cylinder’s continuous use, leading to their deaths.
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