Photo: Houston Police/Twitter
A woman and child died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Houston after running a car in the garage to try and keep warm amidrecord-low temperatures, authorities said.
The incident also sent an adult male and a young boy to the hospital, making them two of more than 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning reported in Harris County in the last few days, theHouston Chroniclereported.
The woman and female child — who was 8 years old, according toKTRK— were pronounced dead, while the boy, who is reportedly 7 years old, and adult male were transported to the hospital, police said.
“Initial indications are that [a] car was running in the attached garage to create heat as the power is out,” thestatementsaid. “Cars, grills and generators should not be used in or near a building.”
The woman was speaking with a relative in Colorado on the phone when she became disoriented and passed out in the running car, KTRK reported. The relative then reportedly called police, who found the woman dead in the car and the girl dead in the condo.
“This is so heartbreaking,” Chief of Police Art Acevedo said in astatement. “Please bundle up and be aware of the extreme danger carbon monoxide poses for us. Praying for this family.”
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The incident occurred shortly after six people also in Houston were transported to the hospital after using a charcoal grill to heat their apartment for about four hours, theCy-Fair Fire Departmentsaid.
The victims included four children aged 5-10 years old, and as of Monday night, one child and one adult were listed in critical condition, the fire departmentsaid.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that’s found in fumes produced any time fuel is burned in cars, engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges or furnaces, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can cause sudden illness and death, and while the symptoms are often described as “flu-like,” CO poisoning can kill people in their sleep before they begin exhibiting symptoms.
source: people.com
