A ten-month old minor died of carbon dioxide suffocation in Subukia, Nakuru County.
The baby’s both parents were Sunday February 22 morning rushed to the hospital after they were found lying unconscious in their house.
They had lit a jiko using charcoal to warm their house when the incident happened oblivious of the dangers lying ahead.
The incident came out after the father of the child screamed for help as he could not move out of suffocation. The wife too was weak then.
Their neighbours broke into the house and found the couple lying unconscious with the baby already dead.
Police were called and said there was a burning jiko beside the couple’s bed.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy while the parents were taken to the hospital and admitted in a stable condition. Officials warn against the use of jiko in poorly ventilated places.
Carbon monoxide is regarded as a silent killer.
A burning jiko emits carbon monoxide, which is deadly. Carbon monoxide poisoning is more likely to occur when people are asleep.
The team also wants to establish if the officer died from carbon monoxide poisoning or it was set there.
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.
Elsewhere in Tigoni, Limuru, Kiambu County, a casual worker was electrocuted at a restaurant.
Police said Francis Ndungu, 32 was among workers at the site when he accidentally touched a live naked wire which electrocuted him.
He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police were called to the scene and announced they were investigating it.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending other procedures.
Fatal electrocution cases have been on the rise in the country with most of them being blamed on poor wiring and use of quacks for the same.
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