Harmattan: Two friends suffocate from charcoal smoke in Jos

Two friends, Saminu Idris (25) and Idris Dahiru (25), of Gangare community of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have on Saturday early morning lost their lives to charcoal smokes.

The incident occurred around 12:30 am after the deceased have burnt charcoal while preparing to sleep to warm their sleeping room due to the low temperature that the state is experiencing since Friday.

They were believed to have inhaled toxic smoke from the burning charcoal and suffocated in the room.

Idris Aliyu Adam, father to one of the deceased (Saminu Idris) who confirmed the incident on Sunday at his residence said his family has received the story with shock, saying, “What happened was the will of God. We love them but there is nothing we could do. That is their destiny.”

Adam however called on residents in the state to desist from burning charcoal in their sleeping room to avoid cold, saying there are charcoal that may be toxic in nature which people might not know.

The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), had on Friday stated that the temperature in Jos had decreased to 6.9 degree Celsius making the city the coldest in the country.