The recent death of six persons, including five members of a family, due to asphyxiation caused by heating devices in Kashmir has cast a pall of gloom across the valley with health experts urging people for safe heating practices. Five family members including an infant from Uri Baramulla died in Pandretan Srinagar while another person from Kulgam died and his mother was hospitalised after facing severe hypoxia caused due to excessive use of gas heaters.
A few days ago another heart wrenching incident took place in Ferozpora village in north Kashmir’s Tangmarg, in which a residential tin shed caught fire leading to death of two minor siblings. This tragic incident snatched two innocent lives of poor labourer who was living the life of penury. As per the reports the cause of fire was the firewood bukhari that was installed inside the shed by the household to warm themselves in these harsh winter days.
Reportedly, the mother of these deceased siblings had gone out to fetch an LPG cylinder from a nearby market. On her return it was found that the whole tin shed was reduced to ashes along with the two siblings who were also charred to death. The pain and the tragedy that has befallen on these victim families that too in this harsh winter is beyond imagination.
In Kashmir valley, there have been a number of such fire incidents and asphyxiation death cases in the past also, particularly in the winter season in which the gas heaters or these firewood bukharis lead to the fire incidents eventually leading to loss of life and property. There are many instances in which the continuous use of gas heaters during the night causes suffocation and ultimately leading to death of individuals.
These recent deaths due to asphyxiation have caught widespread public attention. Health experts have sounded alert and issued an advisory. Officials, politicians, social activists and people from different walks of life reached these family and immediate rehabilitation measures for the families were also taken up.
Death is indeed inevitable and nobody can prevent it but what is more important is that we need to be very much cautious and vigilant when it comes to handling these bukharis and another allied gadgets that are frequently used by people across the valley during winter. Kashmir is a place where we can’t evade the use of such equipments given the cool temperature that drops to minus and this year it has shown drastic change and temperature dropped upto -8°C at many places. In order to ensure the safety of life and property in this winter we need to exert maximum level of prevention and care while using such equipments.
The department of Fire & Emergency Services and department of health have already issued advisories to aware general masses to remain vigilant during the ongoing harsh winter season and take precautionary measures to prevent fire incidents and such asphyxiation incidents. These advisory measures need to be followed very strictly to ensure that all electrical heating gadgets are unplugged and stoves, bukharies, LGP cooking gas stoves are switched off properly, before going to bed or leaving the home.
Many people use coal bukhari which require coal as fuel. These coal bukharis produce large quantity of Carbon dioxide and Carbon monoxide gasses. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which is responsible various respiratory disorders. Every year, over 400 people die and 50,000 are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often described as “flu-like” – headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
When using gas heaters, there is a very real risk of hypoxia. Many people have passed away while they were asleep as a result of gas leaks or heaters exhausting all the oxygen in the space. If not utilised carefully, other heaters that use wood, charcoal, or kerosene can pose much greater risks. Health experts are of the opinion that if we educate the public about preventive actions, fewer fatalities and problems may occur. Continuous watch is necessary for the safety of the users, with no room for exceptions.
Along with improving workplace safety, the public outreach strategy also needs to be strengthened. The risks and safety precautions associated with using various heating devices must be highlighted by the government from time to time through continuous awareness campaigns. Minimising the use of such bukharis in winter can help in keeping various diseases at bay particularly among the children and elderly.
Use of kangris (fire pots) should also be used with utmost care. Keep kangris and other heating appliances at safe places during nights to avoid any untoward incidents. Let us also refrain from using faulty and sub-standard electrical appliances, high wattage electrical room heaters, defective electrical blankets in order to reduce the risk caused by these gadgets and ensure a safe living during these harsh winter days.
All these equipments and gadgets should not be left unattended at any cost. Any negligence on our part can be dangerous. We must act responsibly and make sure that the things that we are using are extremely safe as free from any kind of danger.
By following advisory and taking precautions we can save precious lives and this will in turn make this harsh winter indeed a blessing. Otherwise it can be surely become troublesome and even a threat to life and property. Taking the necessary precautions and preparations will mitigate our sufferings and will ensure a sense of safety and will indeed turn this winter into a blessing, serenity and joy.
(Author is teacher by profession. He hails from Baramulla and can be mailed at [email protected])
