«The youngest son could not wake up his mother and called his father»
Alas, human tragedies continue to occur on holiday weekends. Today it became known that in the Mozhaisk city district, a mother and her 14-year-old daughter died due to poisoning by combustion products. A woman forgot food while cooking on the stove. Her 9-year-old son was hospitalized. We contacted the neighbors to find out the details of the tragedy, and asked the firefighters to assess this situation and remind them of rescue measures in case of such an emergency.
The bodies of a 14-year-old girl and her 33-year-old mother, without visible signs of criminal death, were discovered on May 7 in an apartment in the Mozhaisk city district (a settlement of a medical instrument factory (MIZ). The youngest child – 9-year-old boy – survived, but was was hospitalized in a clinic with signs of poisoning.
– According to the expert's preliminary data, the death of the victims was due to poisoning by combustion products, – it follows from the message of the Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region. – that the woman forgot on the stove while cooking, resulting in a sharp smell of burning food.
The prosecutor's office of the Moscow region stated that «during the inspection of the scene of the incident, no gas leaks were found.» Investigators and criminologists are working at the scene of the incident.
«MK» managed to contact the residents of the house and friends of the victims.
– We have a five-story house, I'm from this entrance, where everything happened, – told us a resident of the house. – At 7 in the morning I woke up from the smell of burning, as if someone had burned buckwheat on gas, I ran to check if I myself had forgotten to turn off something. She opened the windows to ventilate, and at that moment they were already knocking on some apartment, drumming on it, the knock was on the whole entrance… But I don't even know what floor it was…
– As far as I know, they put food on the stove to heat and fell asleep, – told «MK» family friend. – The youngest son survived only because the door to his room was tightly closed, and after he could not wake up his mother, he called his father. Where was the father at that time, I don’t know & hellip; A good man has gone to the next world… May the earth rest in peace for him and his daughter.
We talked about this situation with representatives of the fire and rescue services.
– More often than not, people are sent by combustion products rather than die from high temperatures in a fire, – told «MK» fire and rescue worker. – Sometimes a few breaths are enough to make a person lose consciousness. It is very easy to get poisoned with carbon monoxide, since it has no color and smell, therefore, if there was a fire in a neighboring apartment or room, and people were sleeping or relaxing, they could get poisoned before the cause was discovered.
– Only food in the pan – unlikely until the fire has moved on; but when burning building materials, clothing, packaging, insulation – Yes. During combustion, a lot of toxic substances are released. Well, it is worth remembering that any combustion consumes oxygen, which is in the room, and its lack for a person leads to disastrous consequences. Sensors and annunciators can become a prevention of such tragedies.
So the head of the fire guard with a work experience of 30 years considers death from burnt food to be unlikely:
– It is premature to draw conclusions about the causes of death of people. After all, when food burns on the stove – there is such a stench that, excuse me, «raises the dead.» And I don't think there was a lot of carbon monoxide in there. Perhaps the woman and daughter were poisoned by something else, and the food burned after their death, since there was no one to turn off the stove. Only an autopsy will show the true cause of death, from carbon monoxide or from something else.
About the precautions of «MK» reminded the fireman and rescuer of one of the fire departments near Moscow:
– In the event of a fire, if the room caught fire, you need to close the door and windows, and quickly leave the apartment, and, of course, call 112. If the fire started before your eyes, that is, the fire has just appeared, then you need to try to cope on your own to keep the fire from spreading. But I would like to warn you that even if you put a wet rag on your mouth and nose, it will not help much to leave the apartment in thick smoke, since it is enough to take a couple of breaths to lose consciousness. Well, and most importantly, do not get lost and do not panic.
An employee of the fire and rescue unit, Maxim, recommended to save lives if a fire starts, use a «self-rescuer»; (personal protective equipment such as a gas mask or respirator), which is better to purchase in advance:
– It can save from toxic combustion products (including carbon monoxide) during a fire, as well as from other hazardous chemicals (vapors, gases and aerosols) in case of man-made accidents and terrorist attacks, – Maxim says. – It will last for 15-20 minutes just in time to evacuate to the street. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so you can understand that you are breathing it only when symptoms of poisoning occur.