Family Of Four Found Dead In Suicide Pact Over Financial Problems

Financial problems were behind the apparent suicides of a family of four in India's Kerala state over the weekend, police said.

The four, identified as Ashif, 40; his wife, Abeera, 35; and the couple's 14- and 7-year-old daughters, Ashara Fathima and Anounissa, were found dead in one of the rooms at their home located in the city of Kodungallur Sunday, newspaper The Times of India reported.

Police believed that the family died in a suicide pact after detecting carbon monoxide inside the room, a report by the New Indian Express said.

The room's doors and windows were allegedly closed, with some type of tape used to seal the gaps on the windows.

Authorities decided to inspect the room after the family failed to come out of it past 10 a.m. Sunday.

A suicide note was later recovered from the home, which attributed the cause of the suicides to a "financial crisis," according to Thrissur rural district police chief Aishwarya Dongre.

It also warned people of the dangers of entering the room due to carbon monoxide.

The gas was produced from burning a mixture of chemical compounds such as calcium carbonate and zinc oxide in charcoal. Some of the items were reportedly purchased online.

Police suspected the carbon monoxide may have been used to avert the pain of death, but the nature of the gas will only be determined following a forensic analysis, according to Dongre.

A case has since been registered, and a probe into the deaths was launched.

Neighbors and relatives of the four were surprised to know that the family was facing a financial crisis because they considered them rich.

Ashif reportedly worked from home as a software engineer for a company based in the United States, and his family's home had an area of around 5,000 square feet.

However, the family reportedly received a property attachment notice as they had defaulted on some loan repayments.

In response to the family's apparent suicide pact, psychiatrist C. J. John said such incidents emphasized the need for systems to identify vulnerable people and reach out to them.

The doctor added that the family members themselves should have been encouraged to share their stress with people outside their family instead of partaking in a suicide pact.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.