They burnt a coal brazier inside the house which could have led to this, police said.(Representational)
Five children of a family sleeping in their house died due to suffocation in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district. Two others in critical situation were rushed to a hospital.
They had burnt a coal brazier (angithi) inside the house which could have led to the accident, police said. "Prima facie the cause of death could be due to lack of oxygen because these people had burnt a coal brazier in their room.
Seven members of the family went to sleep on Monday night, and when they didn't open their door till Tuesday evening, the neighbours got suspicious. They forcefully entered the home after breaking the door.
The house belonged to Raheezuddin whose three children and two children of his relatives have died in the accident. The condition of his wife and brother is said to be critical.
A heavy police force, including Superintendent of Police Kunwar Anupam Singh, and administrative officials reached the spot and started a probe into the matter.
Burning of Angithi or coal oven harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc. If the room it is burned in is closed, not much air can enter the room. Continuous discharge of these gases reduces the flow of oxygen in the closed room and can cause suffocation. Prolonged exposure can even cause death.