The deceased were identified as 3-year-old Tejas, his 7-month-old sister Gudiya, their 70-year-old grandmother Kamalavati Devi, and 4-year-old cousin Adhyay. Three others—Tejas and Gudiya's mother Anjali, uncle Amit Kumar, and aunt Amisha—remain in critical condition at Chhapra Sadar Hospital.
The family had gathered at Kamalavati Devi's home near Ambika Colony in Bhagwan Bazar police station area. Anjali, recently returned from Varanasi with her children after a puja visit, joined relatives for winter holidays.
Seven people slept on the first floor with the brazier lit for warmth. Around dawn, one survivor felt restless, opened the door and raised an alarm. Neighbours rushed the unconscious victims to hospital, where doctors declared four dead on arrival.
Police, led by ASP Ram Pukar Singh, investigated the scene and confirmed the brazier was kept under the bed. Authorities suspect carbon monoxide buildup depleted oxygen in the sealed room.
Such tragedies recur annually during winters when families use coal braziers without adequate ventilation. Experts warn that burning coal indoors releases lethal CO gas, causing asphyxia, cardiac arrest and death in sleep.
The incident has shrouded Ambika Colony in grief, underscoring the need for safer heating alternatives and awareness about ventilation risks.
