At least 14 people have died across Delhi, Bihar, and Kashmir after unsafe use of space heaters and braziers in closed rooms, triggering suffocation, fires, and carbon monoxide poisoning this winter.
New Delhi: As a biting cold wave tightens its grip over North India, space heaters and traditional braziers are turning deadly, leaving at least 14 people dead across Delhi, Bihar, and Kashmir in a chilling series of winter tragedies.
Entire families have been found lifeless in closed rooms, victims of toxic fumes, suffocation, and heater-related fires — often without any warning signs.
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The most recent deaths were reported from Punjab’s Tarn Taran, where a young couple and their month-old infant died after sleeping with a coal-fired brazier in a sealed room. With doors and windows shut to keep out the cold, poisonous gases accumulated overnight, leading to fatal asphyxiation.
Authorities and doctors say such incidents are no longer isolated. From urban apartments to rural homes, unsafe heating practices are quietly claiming lives, earning space heaters the grim label of “silent killers.”
A deadly winter trail
In Delhi’s Mukundpur, a family of three — a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation engineer, his wife, and their 10-year-old daughter — died after a suspected room heater malfunction triggered a fire.
Police believe smoke inhalation knocked the family unconscious before flames spread. Neighbours found them lying on their bed, with no signs of struggle.
In Bihar’s Gayaji, a 60-year-old woman and her two grandchildren, aged six and five, suffocated after an angeethi was lit inside a closed room.
Similar scenes unfolded in Srinagar, where a chef, his wife, and three children — including a 28-day-old infant — were found dead in their rented accommodation, with officials suspecting asphyxiation linked to an electric blower.
Why heaters kill silently
Medical experts warn that carbon monoxide (CO) — a colourless, odourless gas — is the biggest threat. In closed spaces, heaters and braziers consume oxygen and release toxic gases, causing dizziness, headaches, and sudden loss of consciousness before victims realise the danger.
A long-term study by AIIMS has found that the vast majority of carbon monoxide deaths occur during winter, primarily due to coal-burning devices used in poorly ventilated rooms.
Doctors also caution that prolonged heater use dries indoor air, aggravating asthma, allergies and respiratory illnesses, especially among children and the elderly.
How to stay safe
Experts urge people to:
- Never seal rooms completely while using heaters or braziers
- Avoid leaving heaters on overnight
- Ensure proper ventilation at all times
- Service electrical and fuel-based appliances regularly
- Install carbon monoxide detectors at home
As temperatures continue to dip, authorities are urging vigilance, warning that a moment of warmth can quickly turn fatal behind closed doors.
Published: 11 Jan 2026, 08:30 pm IST
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