Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (SP)

Chikkamagaluru, Oct 26: Following the news that a lady tourist lost her life in a Madikeri homestay on Sunday night comes the information that a married lady lost her life in similar circumstances. In this case, Vanitha from Gejjegondanahalli in Ajjampura taluk, Chikkamagaluru district, lost her life in a bathroom of a homestay located in Lakshmipura in the outskirts of the town. She was choked by the carbon monoxide generated by a gas geyser in the bathroom.

Vanitha had arrived at Chikkamagaluru along with her husband, Harshith from Tumakuru, for tour. The couple had married just two months back. Vantha who went to take bath, did not come out for long. Harshith, who turned anxious, opened the bathroom door and saw that his wife had become very ill and was lying on the ground. She got her treated in a private hospital here before taking her to Udupi for advanced treatment. However, her life could not be saved as she failed to respond to treatment.

A case has been filed in the rural police station here in this connection.

The homestays which were promoted to help the locals to improve their financial positions are proving to be unsafe for the tourists at least in some isolated cases. It is clear that when creating illegal homestays, safety measures are not followed. The government and the district administrations have failed to take action against such homestays, the people feel.

Gas geysers are unfit for small bathrooms. They should not be provided if ventilation is not good in the bathrooms. They have to be switched off immediately after sufficient hot water is collected. They need to be served regularly and it is better if devices which detect the presence of carbon monoxide are fitted, experts say. Many therefore have replaced their gas geysers with electric ones.