A couple, Sulaiman Idris, aged 28, and 20-year-old Maimuna Halliru on Monday, January 2, 2022, suffocated to death while sleeping with lit charcoal in their room.
It was learnt that burning charcoal gave them warmth due to the biting cold weather in their environment.
The suffocation is suspected to have been caused by some harmful gases emitted by the burning charcoal.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who disclosed this on Wednesday, January 4, said that police received a report from Kwa Village, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area on Tuesday, January 3, at about 9pm that relatives noticed that the couple did not come out of their apartment since Monday.
The husband’s grandmother, who had to force the door of their room open, was shocked in discovering the couple motionless on their bed, with a smoke odour in the room.
“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, Mamman Dauda, directed a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Dawakin Tofa Division, CSP Ahmed Hamza, to proceed to the scene.
“Victims were removed from the scene and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano where a medical doctor confirmed the couple dead.
“On preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the deceased couple lit charcoal to warm their room due to cold weather, locked up and got suffocated by the smoke which emanated from the burning charcoal while they were asleep. However, an investigation is in progress,” SP Kiyawa stated.
He said that the Commissioner of Police advised the people of the state to be careful while using fire and electricity, urging them to take safety measures as the harmattan season is associated with the risk of fire outbreaks.
According to Wikipedia, “Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents.
“In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, called charcoal burning, often by forming a charcoal kiln, the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself, with a limited supply of oxygen.
“…Charcoal burns at a higher temperature than wood, with hardly a visible flame, and releases almost nothing except heat and carbon dioxide.
“One kilogramme of charcoal contains 680 to 820 grammes of carbon, which, when combined with oxygen from the atmosphere, from 2.5 to 3 kg of carbon dioxide.”
It was also learnt that when ignited, charcoal’s carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, other gases, and significant quantities of energy. Charcoal packs more potential energy per ounce than raw wood.
Inhaling fine particles can cause various health effects, including respiratory irritation and shortness of breath, and can worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. During increased physical exertion, exposure to carbon monoxide and particulate matter can worsen cardiovascular effects.
Charcoal reacts with oxygen in the air at a glowing red heat to form colourless carbon monoxide gas.
Burning coal in a closed room is said to be harmful as it evolves carbon dioxide and water vapour.
