A man suffocated and died as he emptied water from an underground tank in Kipkelion, Kericho County.
The victim was among three people who had been hired to help in emptying the water to enable the owner to wash the tank when the incident happened in the Barsiele area on Wednesday October 8, 2025.
Police said Nicholas Ngeno, 29 suffocated in the tank while two others were rescued.
The three had gone into the tank with a generator to enable them to pump out the water.
As their mission went on with the generator running, the owner of the tank realized the men were unconscious and raised an alarm.
They had inhaled carbon monoxide emitted from the generator which was killing them slowly through suffocation.
Locals responded to the scene and managed to rescue two of the men while alive while Ngeno was found to have suffocated and died.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy, police said.
Police said he died of suffocation.
Carbon monoxide is regarded as a silent killer.
A running generator emits carbon monoxide, which is deadly. Carbon monoxide poisoning is more likely to occur when one is in a closed place.
Carbon monoxide poisoning, always referred to as ‘the silent killer’ , happens when the toxic odourless gases emitted from burning wood or charcoal mix with blood and affect oxygen circulation in the body.
When one breathes in carbon monoxide, it enters the blood, mixes with the red blood cells’ haemoglobin to form poisonous carboxyhemoglobin that prevents blood from transporting oxygen.
Officials advise against use of generators in closed places or with poor ventilation at large.
Burning jikos also emit carbon monoxide which is deadly as well.
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