Bangladesh: Samira Islam, 20, third family member to dieon August 6, 2022 at 6:53 am

A woman, 20, has become the third member of a British family to die from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Bangladesh.

Samira Islam, from Cardiff, died at about 08:30 BST on Friday, after being found unconscious on 26 July.

Her father, Rafiqul, 51, and brother, Mahiqul, 16, also died after being found in a flat in the region of Sylhet.

Police in the area continue to investigate the deaths.

Samira’s brother Sadiqul, 24, and her mother Husnara Begum were also in the flat but have since been released from hospital, sources have confirmed.

Police said Husnara and Sadiqul had told them there was a faulty electricity generator in the property they were staying at, which was to be used in emergencies.

They reportedly told officers it was used the night of the incident due to a power cut.

Supt Farid Uddin said police visited the property with Husnara and Sadiqul, and said that when the generator was running it pumped out smoke.

He added that this could have caused the family to be suffocated and samples had been sent to a laboratory for analysis.

The family, from Cardiff, were on a two month visit to Bangladesh when they were found unconscious by a relative.

The relative said that when there was no answer at the flat on 26 July, they peered through a window and saw the family sprawled across two beds.

Police officers broke into the building on Tuesday morning after the alarm was raised.

Sadiqul had previously told officers he was not aware of what had happened, and woke up in hospital after going to bed at about 23:00 local time.

On 28 July hundreds of people lined the streets of Sylhet for the funeral of Rafiqul and Mahiqul.