Ghatkopar deaths: Why gas geyser is being considered as a cause

What is the incident that took place in Ghatkopar?

Deepak Shah, 42, and Rina Shah, 39, were found dead in the bathroom of their residence at Kukreja Tower in Ghatkopar (East). The police said it appeared the couple was taking a bath and the shower was still on. They had played Holi with their family a day earlier on Tuesday following which they went home. When their maid came to their residence on Wednesday morning and they didn’t answer the doorbell, she called their relative. The relative opened the door with a spare key and found the couple’s bodies in the bathroom.

What do the police believe to be the cause of death?

No external injury marks have been found on the body so the police, prima facie, do not suspect they were attacked. The police have sent their bodies for a post-mortem examination to find out the cause of their death. The police said they are checking whether the couple had something to eat that could have led to their death or if it was due to the gas geyser installed in their bathroom.

Why is the gas geyser being considered a possible cause of death?

Gas geysers consume oxygen to generate heat for warming water. In an ill-ventilated bathroom, they can consume the entire oxygen forcing a person to breathe in carbon monoxide — a known cause of epileptic seizures and brain damage.

Doctors from the Department of Neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, had in 2013 published data in the Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, bringing to light the hazardous effects of the use of gas geysers in domestic settings. Over a period of two years—2008-2011—the department saw 26 cases of epileptic seizures while bathing in an ill-ventilated bathroom with a functional gas geyser.

Have there been deaths in Mumbai in the past due to gas geysers?

In January 2020, Dhruvi Gohil, 16, a Mulund resident, passed away due to hypoxia from carbon monoxide poisoning due to emissions from a bathroom-fitted gas geyser. She suffered from brain swelling and succumbed at the Mangal Murti Hospital where she was undergoing treatment. It was believed that there was scant oxygen supply in her bathroom which affected Gohil’s brain and caused convulsions.

Why do some people prefer gas geysers over electric geysers?

Gas geysers are comparatively cheaper and they come in handy as compared to electric geysers in places where there are frequent power cuts.