One dies of suffocation, 6 hospitalised

PHULBANI: One person died of asphyxiation while six others have been hospitalised with breathing problems here on Tuesday. The incident took place at Rampa Sahi of Baliguda town, where the family of seven was sleeping in a room that lacked ventilation.Moreover, they had lit fire in the room to keep themselves warm which led to shortage of oxygen, police officer RN Barik said. The incident came to light early Tuesday morning when some neighbours spotted smoke and broke the room open. All the family members were rushed to a hospital in  Baliguda, where the doctors declared 70-year-old Arakhita Patra dead. The district is in the grip of intense cold with some areas  in Baliguda town recording below three degree  Celsius.