Srinagar, January 05 (KNO): Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Saturday advised people to use safest heating arrangements in this extreme cold weather. “It is heartbreaking that five members of single family hailing from Tangdar Kupwara died due to suffocation at Bemina Srinagar,” said president DAK Dr Suhail Naik in a statement issued to KNO, adding that though it is essential to warm living places in extremely cold winter but concrete and vigilant safety measures are essential to prevent deaths due to suffocation and electrical short-circuiting.
“People are using different heating arrangements to warm their homes, but any of them can prove fatal and disastrous due to callous attitude of family or poor knowledge about system. Furthermore it is prime responsibility of hotelier's to advice and educate tourists coming to state about the dangers of gas heaters and electrical blankets,” Dr Naik added.
In the times of extreme cold weather, people in general are using different types of heating arrangements which are based on electricity, gas or wood like blowers, electric blankets, gas heaters, kerosene heaters, and furnace, he said.
“It is very important to know that none of them is safe, if vigilant and appropriate measures are not kept in place. During winters we have witnessed deaths due to electric blanket short-circuiting and suffocation due to gas and kerosine heaters,” Dr Naik added.
General Secretary DAK, Dr Owais H Dar said that it is imperative to keep house warm as usual, and keep the room temperature at around 19°C or above. “But one should not use gas or kerosine oil heaters for long time if they don’t have proper exhaust.
One must make sure that before going to bed he or she has switched off electric blankets, gas or oil based heaters,” he said. Calling furnace a safe mode of heating arrangement, DAK advised people have complete inspection yearly.(KNO)