Three members of a Canadian family were killed in carbon monoxide poisoning, police believe.

It happened in Brampton, Ontario early on Monday, March 17, after propane heaters had been brought in the home as the furnace was not working. The conditions were extremely cold. CBC News reported that emergency services were called around 2 am by one of the residents of the house. The resident, 29, discovered that carbon monoxide detectors got activated while the members of the family remained unconscious.

Police Constable Fiona Thivierge called it a "terrible situation." While five from the family were rushed to hospital, three of them have already been pronounced dead. The remaining members of the family are, on the other hand, expected to recover. Among the deceased, there is a 59-year-old woman and her 60-year-old husband. Their son, 36, is the other person who got killed. The other two who are expected to recover are a couple of men, aged 66 and 56. It is believed that the victims belong to an extended family.

According to police, the furnace in the house stopped working on Sunday. While temperature dropped to -15°C at night and wind chills made it the mid -20s, the family brought propane heaters to the house. The ones who eventually got killed were staying in the upper level of the house. The ones who stayed in the lower level are expected to survive.

Carbon monoxide safety tips

- Have chimneys and flues checked on a regular basis for blockages and security.

- Ask trained professionals to ensure that your fuel-burning appliances are safe. Perform this check just before winter before you indulge in heavy heating.

- Never ignore any instruction from the manufacturers

- Never leave the car idle in the garage no matter if the garage door is close or open.

- Never use a gas over for heating purpose

- Never use a charcoal grill inside your house

- Never sleep in a room heated by kerosene or gas if there is no proper ventilation

- Never use any engine powered by gasoline indoors. Such engines include snow blowers, weed trimmers, chain saws, mowers and small generators.

- Install carbon monoxide detector in your house, camper and vehicle

Source

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