PARLAKHEMUNDI: As many as three tribal girls of a residential high school under ST&SC Development Department died of asphyxiation at K C Pur under Guma block last night. The victims have been identified as Puspanjali Mandal, Nibeni Raita, both of Class VI, and Sujata Sabara of Class VIII. Sources said the girls had lit fire in their room to protect themselves from biting cold. Pushpanjali and Nibeni were suffocated due to lack of ventilation and died and Sujata succumbed on way to SCB Medical, Cuttack. D i s t r i c t Collector Prakash Chandra Das said the district administration had sanctioned Rs 10,000 to each bereaved family from the Red Cross fund.