- The bodies of the 12-year-old boy and his parents were found in the main hall of the house
- Initial reports had said the family may have died by suicide
- A senior official said the deaths appear to be the result of a gas leak
A 12-year-old boy was among three members of a family found dead at their home in Surat on Tuesday after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes.
Faiz Ahmed (40), his wife Mubina (36) and their 12-year-old son, Nomna, who lived in the Haripura area of Lalgate, had returned after completing Umrah in Saudi Arabia a week ago. Their bodies were found in the morning and initial reports had suggested that they may have died by suicide.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Raghav Jain, however, said first responders were met with an overwhelming stench of gas and a suffocating atmosphere upon entering the residence.
The bodies were in the main hall and preliminary observations noted froth near the mouths of the victims - a symptom often associated with inhaling toxic fumes. Given that the hall contained both the air conditioning unit and gas connections, authorities suspect a failure with one of them turned the room into a death trap.
"Prima facie, it looks like some kind of gas leaked and led to the deaths," Jain said, noting that while the consumption of a toxic substance is being considered a secondary possibility, the environmental conditions strongly suggest accidental suffocation. A team, officials said, is checking all household appliances for leaks.
