Winter’s ‘silent killer’: Heater-related deaths rise from Delhi apartments to Bihar villages

As winter tightens its grip across North India, space heaters and traditional heating methods are turning into a deadly threat inside closed homes. From Delhi’s high-rise apartments to remote villages in Bihar and the icy valley of Kashmir, a series of tragic deaths has highlighted the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and suffocation caused by improper heater use.

In recent weeks, multiple families have been found dead in their sleep, victims of what medical experts call the “silent killer” — carbon monoxide (CO). The gas is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, making it almost impossible to detect without alarms or ventilation until it is too late.

One of the most shocking incidents occurred in Delhi’s Mukundpur area, where a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation engineer, his wife, and their 10-year-old daughter died in a fire suspected to have been triggered by a room heater malfunction or short circuit. Police believe smoke rendered the family unconscious before flames spread. Neighbours reported no signs of struggle, suggesting the victims were overcome quickly.

Similar tragedies have been reported elsewhere. In Bihar’s Gayaji, a grandmother and her two young grandchildren suffocated after sleeping in a sealed room with a burning brazier. In Punjab’s Tarn Taran, a young couple and their month-old infant died after fumes from a brazier filled their closed room. In Srinagar, a chef, his wife, and three children — including a newborn — were found dead in a rented accommodation where an electric blower was running, with authorities suspecting asphyxiation.

Doctors explain that heating devices powered by coal, wood, gas, or even electricity can deplete oxygen levels in poorly ventilated rooms. Dr Naveed Nazir Shah of Srinagar’s Chest Disease Hospital has warned that such devices can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, leading to dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and sudden unconsciousness.

A long-term study by AIIMS New Delhi found that 95% of carbon monoxide deaths in India occur during winter, most commonly due to coal-burning heaters in closed spaces. Beyond poisoning, doctors also caution that prolonged heater use dries indoor air, worsening asthma, allergies, and respiratory distress.

Medical experts stress that adequate ventilation, cautious heater use, and public awareness are crucial to preventing more winter deaths.

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