Patna, Dec 31 : Three people died of suffocation as the room got filled with smoke from a coal brazier, lit to protect themselves from cold conditions in Bihar's Gaya district.

Three members of a family - a woman and two children - lost their lives to suffocation in the Wazirganj police station area.

The victims were identified as Meena Devi (60), wife of Gango Manjhi, her grandson Sujit Kumar (3), and granddaughter Anshu Kumari (5), the police said.

To protect themselves from the cold, the family reportedly lit a charcoal brazier inside a room on Tuesday night before going to sleep.

The door and windows were closed, causing smoke to accumulate inside the room, leading to the death of all three due to asphyxiation.

Family members said that when they opened the room late at night, it was filled with smoke, and the trio was found unconscious.

They were immediately taken to a local hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Wazirganj Station House Officer Neeraj Kumar said that prima facie, the deaths appear to have been caused by suffocation due to smoke from the charcoal brazier.

"We are investigating all aspects of the incident, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination report," Kumar said.

The bodies have been sent to the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the village.

Police have appealed to residents not to use charcoal braziers or heaters in closed rooms, advising people to keep windows open.

They further warned that if smoke accumulates or discomfort is felt, individuals should immediately step outside and ventilate the room.

A similar incident occurred on the night of December 26 in Ambika Bhawani Colony near Bharat Milap Chowk, under the Bhagwan Bazar police station area of Chhapra city, Bihar, where four members of a family lost their lives due to toxic fumes from a charcoal brazier.

The family had lit a charcoal brazier inside their room to protect themselves from the severe cold.

/IANS