Fatehgarh Sahib: A tragic incident in Khanian village, near Amloh in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district, resulted in the death of a 13-day-old infant girl and a four-year-old boy after toxic chemical fumes entered their sealed bedroom through an operational air conditioning system. Three other family members—an adult woman and two young girls aged eight and 13—developed severe respiratory distress and were rushed to a tertiary hospital in Chandigarh for critical medical care.
The tragedy unfolded late on the night of July 20, when family members sleeping in the main quarters began exhibiting acute respiratory symptoms. Investigators revealed that the family had recently treated stored grain in an adjacent storage area using chemical preservation tablets containing aluminum phosphide. The storage room shared a connecting door with the main bedroom. As toxic phosphine gas off-gassed from the tablets, the running air conditioner pulled the heavy fumes through gaps around the door into the sealed bedroom, circulating the lethal gas while the family slept.
The 13-day-old infant, Harseerat Kaur, died at the scene, while four-year-old Manraj Singh succumbed during treatment at a private hospital. Specialized medical and health department teams have since inspected the residence, and local authorities are monitoring the situation as the remaining family members undergo critical treatment.
