Sundargarh: Odisha police recovered highly decomposed bodies of five members of a family from a closed house at Kulda under Hemgir police limits in the district under mysterious circumstances this afternoon.

As per reports, a labour contractor identified as Ramayan Prasad Sharma (50), his wife Mili (42), two daughters – Sanju (17) and Anju (10) – and son Rabindra (16) were found dead at a house T-26 in MCL staff colony quarters.

The neighbours informed higher officials of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) after they sniffed foul odour emanating from the house following which police was informed about the incident.

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A team of local police personnel led by Sundargarh SP Pinak Mishra in the presence of a magistrate broke open the door to find the bodies lying inside the house.

Scientific team was also pressed into service to aid in the investigation.

The neighbours had seen them on Friday last. Since then, the house was locked from inside.

Sharma was supplying manpower to MCL’s coal mine at Vasundhara.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the family members might have died due to carbon monoxide poisoning as they were using generators in the house.

"Prima facie it appears that the deaths have been caused due to asphyxia or poisoning. We are investigating into the matter," Sundargarh SP Pinak Mishra informed.

Police are investigating into other angles to rule out foul play.

Meanwhile, the bodies have been sent for inquest to ascertain the cause of deaths.