Gas heater safety in hotels matters in northern Pakistan because most winter accommodation, from Murree and Nathiagali to guesthouses in Hunza and Naran, still relies on portable gas heaters or gas geysers rather than central heating. Used properly, they are fine. Used in a small, sealed room overnight, they can produce carbon monoxide, a gas with no smell and no colour that has killed guests in Pakistani hotels before.
This guide explains why the risk is real, the warning signs to watch for, and what to do to sleep safely in a room heated this way.
Why this is a genuine risk, not just caution
A gas heater or gas geyser burns fuel and needs a supply of fresh air to burn it completely. In a small, tightly closed room, especially one built to keep out mountain cold, that air runs out. Incomplete combustion then produces carbon monoxide, which is odourless, colourless and heavier than the fresh air it displaces, so it collects at breathing height rather than rising and dispersing.
This isn't a theoretical hazard in Pakistan. In 2019, a 23-year-old guest at a hotel in Malam Jabba, Swat, died after a gas geyser installed inside an unventilated bathroom leaked carbon monoxide while he showered; other guests in the same building reported dizziness, according to Dawn's reporting at the time. Separately, in the January 2022 Murree snowstorm, around 22 people died in cars trapped in heavy snow, with investigators attributing the deaths to a combination of cold and carbon monoxide from vehicle heaters run with blocked exhausts. Pakistani health reporting also notes that hospitals in the northern areas, Islamabad and Rawalpindi see hundreds of gas-poisoning cases most winters, mostly linked to instant gas geysers.
The warning signs
Carbon monoxide poisoning is dangerous partly because the early symptoms are easy to mistake for tiredness or a mild cold. Watch for:
- Headache, especially one that gets worse through the evening or overnight
- Dizziness or nausea
- Unusual drowsiness, beyond normal tiredness after a day of travel
- Confusion or difficulty thinking clearly
- More than one person in the room feeling the same symptoms at once, which is a stronger signal than any one person feeling unwell alone
If anyone in the room shows these signs, get everyone out into fresh air immediately, turn off the heater, and seek medical attention. Symptoms typically ease quickly once away from the source, which is itself a useful sign that the room air was the cause.
How to sleep safely with a gas heater in the room
- Never sleep with a gas heater burning all night in a sealed room. Most hotels remove or switch off portable gas heaters before guests sleep for exactly this reason; if yours doesn't, ask them to, or turn it off yourself before bed.
- Keep a window cracked open, even slightly, whenever a gas heater or geyser is running, despite the cold. A small gap makes a real difference to air exchange.
- Ask whether the room's gas geyser, if there is one, is vented to the outside. A geyser fitted inside a small, enclosed bathroom with no external vent is the single riskiest setup, and is exactly what caused the Malam Jabba death.
- Don't block doors, vents or gaps under doors with towels or blankets against draughts, since these are often the only airflow the room has.
- If you smell fuel, feel unusually dizzy or a heater looks damaged or improvised, ask for a different room or an electric heater instead, where the hotel's generator or power supply allows it.
Our guide to hotels with heating in the northern areas covers the different heating setups you'll find and how to ask about them before you book, which is worth reading alongside this one.
What to ask before booking a winter stay
- Is the room heated by gas, electric heater or central heating?
- If gas, is the heater removed overnight, or left running?
- If there's a gas geyser in the bathroom, is it vented outside?
- Does the room have a window that opens?
- Is there a smoke or gas detector in the room? Few hotels in the region have one, so a "yes" is worth noting, but a "no" shouldn't be a surprise.
A frank word on this
Most nights spent in a gas-heated hotel room in northern Pakistan pass without any problem at all, and the vast majority of guesthouses and hotels manage their heaters sensibly. The two documented cases above happened because ventilation was inadequate for the specific setup, not because gas heating is inherently unsafe. Treat it the way you would treat any other real but manageable travel risk: know the symptoms, keep some airflow in the room, and don't hesitate to raise it with hotel staff if something about the setup looks wrong. If cold is the main worry, our guide to when to go also covers which months avoid the coldest nights altogether.
Frequently asked questions
Can a gas heater in a hotel room actually kill you?
Yes, if it burns fuel in a small, sealed space without enough fresh air. Carbon monoxide has caused confirmed deaths in Pakistani accommodation, including a 2019 case in Malam Jabba linked to an unventilated gas geyser.
How do I know if a room has carbon monoxide building up?
You can't smell or see it. The first signs are usually headache, dizziness, nausea or unusual drowsiness, particularly if more than one person in the room feels the same way at the same time.
Is it safe to leave a gas heater on overnight while sleeping?
Not in a sealed room. Most hotels remove or switch off portable gas heaters before guests go to sleep; if a heater is left running overnight, keep a window cracked open and don't rely on it being safe by default.
What should I do if I feel unwell and suspect the heater?
Leave the room for fresh air immediately, turn off the heater, and tell hotel staff. Seek medical attention if symptoms don't ease quickly once you're out of the room.
Are electric heaters safer than gas ones?
Yes, electric heaters don't produce carbon monoxide, though they depend on the hotel's generator during power cuts, which are common in the northern areas in winter. Ask what heating your room actually has before you book.
