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Texas woman, 8-year-old girl die of carbon monoxide poisoning as they left car running in garage to keep warm

An adult male and a young boy also got affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, but they survived

HOUSTON, TEXAS: A woman and a young girl lost their lives because of carbon monoxide poisoning after they tried to keep themselves warm in freezing temperatures by running a car in the garage. An adult man and a young boy were also affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, but they survived and are receiving treatment at a hospital. The Houston Police Department confirmed the tragedy in a statement, “Mid West officers and HFD were dispatched to 8300 La Roche on a welfare check. Upon making entry they found two adults and two children affected by carbon monoxide poisoning. The adult female and female child did not survive. The adult male and male child were transported.”

KTRK reported that the woman and girl were declared dead at the scene. The police statement added, “Initial indications are that car was running in the attached garage to create heat as the power is out. Cars, grills and generators should not be used in or near a building.” As per reports, the deceased woman was on phone with a relative in Colorado before becoming disoriented and unconscious. Her relative then called the police and requested a welfare check.

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“This is so heartbreaking. Please bundle up and be aware of the extreme danger carbon monoxide poses for us. Praying for this family,” Houston chief of police Art Acevedo reacted over the sad news on Twitter. Several people also expressed their sorrow over the tragedy as one tweeted, “Will pray for them and all who are suffering right now.  It's 45 degrees in here and no power but we're okay.” The second user wrote, “So sad. This is awful. I’m sure there will be more unfortunately.” “Ugh this hurts my heart. Hidalgo had just said yesterday there were no deaths from CO yet. Wish they couldn’t stayed true. :(,” the third user added.

“Poor family victims of scrupulous politicians. How many more will die due to this bad planning?” a user asked while another one said, “It’s the chronically underfunded, neglected power grid.  If you want to blame politicians you have a lot of fingers to point over the years. That’s where voters matter. Also, we have to plan for a greater mix of power generation and reserves for emergencies.”

The deaths of the woman and the young girl are the latest in more than 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning reported in Harris County in the last few days. A few hours earlier, as said by the Cy-Fair Fire Department, six people — including four children aged 5-10 years old — were rushed to the hospital after they took the help of a charcoal grill to heat their apartment for about four hours.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. Experts have warned people against the use of portable flameless chemical heaters and generators indoors to keep themselves warm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked people to install a battery-operated CO detector inside their homes and check on the batteries at least twice a year.