Bengaluru couple found dead in bathroom; geyser gas poisoning suspected

A couple in a live-in relationship died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while taking a shower in the bathroom of their rented house in Bengaluru’s Chikkajala area, police said. From preliminary investigation, police suspect the LPG geyser malfunctioned, releasing the deadly carbon monoxide gas and knocking the couple out before they could escape to safety.

Police identified the couple as Chandrasekar (30) from Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district and Sudha Rani (22) from Belagavi district. They were about to be married, said officials. Both reportedly worked at a posh resort near Nandi Hills. The rented house in Tarabanahalli they lived in belongs to a policeman. It was the landlord who discovered the deaths on Sunday (June 11).

Police suspect the couple died on the night of June 10. The next morning, the landlord reportedly got worried when he repeatedly rang their doorbell but got no response. He informed the police, who discovered the bodies in the bathroom after breaking down the door.

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How it may have happened

Though the exact sequence of events could not be immediately known, police have said the couple returned home around 6 pm on June 10. Sometime later in the evening, they must have decided to take a shower together and turned on the 7.5-litre gas geyser in the bathroom. They must have left the geyser on as they showered and it must have malfunctioned, releasing toxic carbon monoxide fumes.

The door and window of the bathroom were shut tight, leaving the couple with no time to react. They must have first lost unconscious and then died. While Chandrasekar was reportedly found in a sitting position with his back to the wall, Sudha Rani was lying on the floor.

What makes carbon monoxide deadly is that it is odourless and colourless. Therefore, in the case of a leak, victims may not notice it, and by the time they realise something is wrong, it may be too late. Especially if a room — e.g., a bathroom — does not have enough ventilation, it may be dangerous, media reports quoted a police officer as explaining.

(With agency inputs)