Banihal: Four members of a family including three minors were found dead under mysterious circumstances at Chopanpora, Chaknarwa village of Banihal in Ramban district on Wednesday morning.
The dead include a mother, a son, and two daughters.
All four were sleeping in the kitchen of the house.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mussarat Islam told Greater Kashmir that the mother along with three children was found dead in Chaknarwa Panchyat of Chopanpora.
Police took custody of the bodies and shifted them to Sub District Hospital Banihal for conducting a post-mortem and other legal formalities.
An FSL team of Police also visited the spot and collected circumstantial evidence and samples and sent them to the laboratory for tests.
Police said that the head of the family Abdul Rasheed Chopan was not present at the house when the incident occurred.
Police identified the deceased as Noor Jahaan Begum, 35 wife of Abdul Rashid, their son Zaffer Ahmad, 12, and two daughters, Shahiza Bano, 8, and Asiya Bano, 5.
SSP Ramban Mohita Sharma told Greater Kashmir that the initial reports suggest that all four might have died due to asphyxiation.
Police have initiated inquest proceedings to ascertain the actual cause of death.
Locals said that a coal heater was found in the kitchen of the house.