Elderly spouses have been poisoned by carbon monoxide in Devashtich district of the northenr province of Sughd while warming themselves around traditional ‘sandali’ stove.
The tragedy took place in Qalai Doust village. The 80-year-old Hojisaidbayon Saidmurodov died, while his 77-year-old wife Nouri Saidmurodova was taken to a hospital on the morning of January 5 in serious condition.
Hojisaydali Saidov, the head of the village community, told Asia-Plus that their son Saidbaroor Saidmurodov found them while coming to visit them.
“When Saidbaror came to their house, his father was already dead and his mother was unconscious,” Saidov said.
A physician at the intensive care department in the Devashtich central district hospital, Keldimurod Qodirov, told Asia-Plus that “today, Nouri Saidmurodova’s condition is assessed as moderate.” .
At the same time, Qodirov noted that it has already been the second case of carbon monoxide poisoning I the district since the beginning of the year.
“A young man with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning was brought to the hospital on January 2,” Qodirov said, noting that “doctors also managed to stabilize his condition.”
In Tajikistan, the ‘sandali’ stove is a popular, cheap heating method. But its use is also fraught with danger, such as asphyxiation or accidental burning.
Traditional table-stove ‘sandali’ is a creative solution. All you need is a low-height table, a blanket to cover the table and manqal, which is put under the table. Manqal is an important part of ‘sandali’ as it generates the heat. First, the ash of burnt wood is placed on the bottom of bowl, then chunks of charcoal are put on the bed of ash. Charcoals are covered with ash so that the heat lasts longer. But sandalis have their dangers, too. The coal fumes cause breathing problems for people; those who snuggle up too close under the blankets can get asphyxiated.
