DUSHANBE, December 12, 2011, Asia-Plus — Six persons, including four children, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in two separate accidents on Sunday, December 11, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
Both families got poisoned while using ‘sandali’ (Tajik traditional stove) to warm themselves, the source in a MoI said.
Small, low, wooden table is placed over charcoal brazier and blanket is spread out over the table so that it drapes to the floor. Then the family members sit around the ‘sandali’ (as the system is called), covering legs under the blanket to absorb the heat.
Because of lack of electricity during autumn-winter period, such wood and charcoal-burning stoves are popular in urban areas.
One of these fatal accidents took place in the Roudaki district, where 29-year-old woman and her three children died from the carbon monoxide poisoning, while her fourth child was taken to the hospital.
The second fatal accident was reported in the Rumi district, Khatlon province. A 49-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter died and the householder was taken to the hospital.
We will recall that Barqi Tojik state electricity company announced the imposition of a new rationing for electricity supplies throughout the country on October 13. The rationing has gone into effect in the regions, with the exception of the capital Dushanbe and other large cities of the country.
Last year, the electricity rationing was introduced in Tajikistan on November 22, 2010 and lasted through April 2011.
Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and seek to curb the country”s rising electricity consumption. The rationing is introduced in October or November and lasts through April next year. The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours. In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country”s reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.
