ABBOTTABAD: In a devastating incident at Abbottabad police station Nawan Shahr, a family of five faced an unimaginable tragedy, leaving a mother and her four children dead due to gas poisoning within the confines of their home.

Preliminary investigations point to a gas heater as the likely cause of the fatal incident. The fumes, believed to be carbon monoxide, permeated the room, leading to the untimely demise of the family members.

The lone survivor is the father, who, despite falling unconscious from the gas poisoning exposure, managed to revive himself.

Currently under medical care, he is expected to provide crucial details shedding light on the heartbreaking incident.

Medical experts have advised citizens to switch off gas heaters before going to bed to avoid risks of fire and casualties, as heater use increases during cold season.

Before going to bed, people should ensure that room heaters are properly switched off and the gas supply is closed at the source to avoid leakages, they said. As majority of the people use gas heaters in airtight rooms during the winter season which might lead to death due to the absence of adequate fresh oxygen intake.

The threat of asphyxia is very high in the use of gas heaters. Many people have died in sleep due to gas leakage or heater burniong off all oxygen in the room. A newlywed couple suffered a tragedy early this year when the husband died and wife went into coma for the simple fault of leaving gas heater open and no ventilation for fresh air.