Surat: Tragedy struck a family in the Lal Gate area on Tuesday when three members — a couple and their 12-year-old son — were found dead at their residence, reportedly due to asphyxiation caused by a gas leak.The bodies of Faiz Ahmed Saiyed (40), his wife Mubina Ahmed, and their son Noman were discovered by a family member early in the morning. Police said Saiyed owned a chemical unit in Pandesara in partnership with his three brothers.Saiyed’s 13-year-old daughter survived as she had gone to a relative’s house for an overnight stay.After the postmortem, experts primarily opined that the deaths were caused by asphyxiation due to gas leakage. The family had returned to Surat only four days ago after performing ‘Umra’ in Saudi Arabia.In the morning, a relative noticed that the family had not woken up at their usual time and that the child had not left for school. She knocked repeatedly, but received no response.The door was then broken open, and the relatives were shocked to find the three lying lifeless inside the house.Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 3, Raghav Jain, told reporters: “They were found frothing at the mouth. We consulted forensic experts to determine the probable cause of death. The primary suspicion is asphyxiation due to a gas leak, as the air conditioner and geyser are located in the common area of the room, and our personnel experienced a suffocating sensation there. Forensic experts also believe this is the most likely cause of death.“Food poisoning was another, though less likely, possibility, he said. “All related evidence, including blood samples, is being sent to experts to determine the exact cause,” the official added.Police said the gas geyser was installed in the room instead of an open area, which may have led to asphyxiation due to leakage.According to forensic experts, the victims may have died around 3 am after slowly inhaling the gas while asleep. All three were found in different rooms of the apartment.Lalgate police registered an accidental death case and launched an investigation.
