Nagpur: Six of a family die of ‘poisoning’ caused by generator exhaust

Six members of a family died of poisoning suspected to have been caused by the exhaust from a diesel-run generator they had reportedly put on to run the air-conditioner, on Monday night. The seventh member is fighting for her life in a government hospital.

The seven members of the Lashkare family from the city’s Durgapur area were identified as Ramesh (45) and his wife Dasu (40) along with Ajay (21), Madhuri (20), Puja, (14), Lakhan (8) and Krishna (4).

Dasu is stated to be critical while the rest have succumbed. However, the younger ones who were related to the couple couldn’t be immediately known.

Chandrapur Superintendent of Police Arvind Salve said, “The neighbours of Lashkare family noticed their house being filled with the generator exhaust. They broke open the door to find the family members who were not responding to their calls. They moved them to a private hospital, where the doctor pronounced all except Dasu dead. Dasu, too, later succumbed,” Salve said.

Vishwas Zade, the doctor who checked them at his hospital, told The Indian Express, “Six of them were brought dead to my hospital. Clinically, they were found to have died of poisoning. Now the government authorities can find out in their investigation if the poisoning was caused by the generator exhaust.”

Zade said, “the seventh member of the family, a lady (Dasu), was extremely critical and was referred to Government Hospital.”

Salve said, “Dasu is under treatment in the intensive care unit.”

It is reported that the Lashkars had put on the generator as there was a power outage in the locality on Monday night.

Ramesh Lashkare was stated to be a contractor. “What kind of contacts he would execute is not yet known,” Salve said.