Newly-wed couple dies of suffocation in Neelum Valley guesthouse

(Web Desk): A newly-wed couple from Karachi, who had gone to Neelum Valley for their honeymoon, died of suffocation in a guesthouse.

Police stated that 25-year-old Syed Muhammad Taha Ali and his 22-year-old wife Dua Zahra Zahid, residents of Malir, Karachi, arrived at a rest house in the village of Kel Seri, about 145 kilometers northeast of Muzaffarabad, on Friday.

Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Ahmed Janjua said that after leaving their belongings in the room, the couple went for sightseeing in the upper areas of Kel and returned around 10:30 PM.

He added that due to the temperature dropping to minus 10°C, the couple turned on the gas heater to stay warm and closed all the windows and doors of their room.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, after previous incidents of suffocation, the staff of the rest house had advised the couple, following safety guidelines issued by the administration and the tourism department, to place the gas cylinder outside after half an hour. Although the couple agreed to follow this advice, they did not implement it.

He explained that around 10 AM on Saturday, the rest house staff knocked on the doors of all rooms to check if guests needed anything. While other guests responded, there was no answer from the couple's room, raising concern.

The alarmed staff informed the District Disaster Management Authority, whose officials, after repeatedly knocking, opened the door and found the couple dead.

Nadeem Ahmed Janjua stated, "The woman was lying on the bed, while it seemed that the man had fallen to the floor while attempting to open the door."

The bodies were transferred to Muzaffarabad in the evening, and after legal formalities, they were handed over to the relatives.