A 25-year-old Indian student succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning when a car left running in a home’s garage in Ontario, Canada, led to a tragic incident. Emergency services were alerted to a potential gas leak at a residence in Kitchener city early on Tuesday. Upon arrival, the Waterloo Regional Police discovered hazardous levels of carbon monoxide (CO). The investigation revealed that the source of the gas was a vehicle left running in the garage.
Emergency responders discovered seven individuals suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and swiftly transported them to a hospital. Unfortunately, one person was declared dead upon arrival, as confirmed by the police.
The victim, a recent graduate and international student from India, remained unnamed at the request of the family, according to Don Patel, a close family friend, as reported by CTV News.
Mr. Patel shared that the victim, who was the first to wake up in the home on Tuesday morning, descended upon hearing some noise. “As soon as he opened the garage door, the inhalation of the fumes caused him to collapse right there,” stated Mr. Patel in a media report.
“He’s the sole child here. He arrived four years ago. The parents are back home in India,” he conveyed.
Representing the family, he expressed, “They can’t stop crying. They’re grappling with thoughts like, ‘How could this happen? Why my son?'”
Don Patel and others are collaborating with the coroner and the Indian consulate to expedite the return of the 25-year-old’s body to India.
“Waiting for a week or ten days to receive their loved one is heartbreaking, so we’re making efforts to cooperate with all the authorities we can,” he added.
Deputy Fire Chief Chris Davidson highlighted that no operational carbon monoxide alarms were discovered in the residence, despite the mandatory requirement for every home in Ontario to have functional fire and carbon monoxide alarms.