Amaravati: In a tragic incident, four members of a family, including two eight-year-old twins, their teenage brother and their grandfather, died due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district.
The victims were identified as eight-year-old twins Chandana and Charitha, their 15-year-old brother Karthik and their 70-year-old grandfather Ramachandraiah. All four died in their sleep after toxic fumes from a motorcycle engine filled a closed room in the house.
According to reports, the children’s father Murali, who runs a hair salon, had recently got his motorcycle repaired. Following advice from a mechanic, the vehicle’s engine was kept running overnight. The motorcycle was parked inside the house while the doors and windows of the room where the children and their grandfather were sleeping remained closed.
Murali and his wife were reportedly sleeping on the terrace at the time. As the engine continued to run inside the house, fumes accumulated in the closed space, producing poisonous carbon monoxide gas. The gas spread inside the room, leading to the deaths of the four occupants during the night.
The bodies were discovered the following morning, triggering shock and grief in the neighborhood. Police reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the incident.
A case has been registered and the bodies have been sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is considered a major safety risk in enclosed spaces and results in several deaths and hospitalizations across the country each year, particularly when engines, heaters or fuel-based appliances are used without proper ventilation.