Four members of the same family were found dead and three others were found unconscious on Thursday morning due to suffocation caused by burning coal smoke to to avoid the cold.

The deceased have been identified as Dharma Prasad Bhattarai, 23, of Pilikhada Chakra Municipality, Ward No. 6 of Kalikot and three other members of his family. Three other members of the family who were found unconscious are undergoing treatment at Bheri Hospital.

Dharma Prasad, who has been working as an office assistant at the medical store in bheri hospital, slept in the same room with his family after dinner last night. Preliminary police investigations have shown that he may have died of suffocation from burning coal smoke to avoid the cold, but further investigations into the incident are ongoing, police said.