KHUJAND, August 5, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Four members of one family were found dead in one of villages of Sughd’s Bobojonghafurov district yesterday afternoon, the Sughd police directorate said.

The 27-year-old Alisher Jourayev, his 27-year-old wife Gavhar Jourayeva and their two children – the six-year-old Fazilat and the 3-year-old Amirkhon – were found hanged in their house.

“According to the preliminary investigation, following the family quarrel, Gavhar hanged her children and then committed suicide by self-hanging,” said the source, “When the husband found his wife and children dead he also killed himself by self-hanging.”   

The Bobojonghafurov prosecutor’s office is investigating the incident.  

According to the Sughd police directorate, 154 suicide cases have been reported in northern Tajikistan over the first six months of this year, which is 75 percent or 66 cases more than in the same period of last year.