Rivers: Couple found dead after inhaling generator fumes

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the death of a couple who reportedly died from inhaling generator fumes in their apartment.

The unidentified man, the police said, and his partner had powered a generator inside their home, which led to their untimely demise.

An eyewitness identified as James told the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the incident occurred in the Port Harcourt Township area.

He explained that due to a power outage and heavy rainfall at the time of the night, the couple resorted to placing their generator inside the passage of their apartment.

“They must have assumed that positioning the generator in the passage would not affect them in the bedroom,” he said.

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James recounted that by late Saturday morning, neighbours became concerned when the couple had not come out of their room.

He said after the co-tenants waited and knocked on their door to ascertain their well-being, they decided to break into the apartment.

He said: “Upon forcing entry, they discovered the lifeless bodies of the couple.

“Subsequently, the incident was reported to the Central Police Station in Port Harcourt Township.”

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command and a Superintendent of Police, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that the couple died from carbon monoxide inhalation.

Iringe-Koko further disclosed that their corpses had been deposited at the morgue.

Dr. Chinazor Offor, a medical practitioner based in Port Harcourt, explained that carbon monoxide displaces oxygen from haemoglobin, leading to heart and respiratory failure.

“If a person is exposed for between five to 15 minutes, the heart ceases to pump blood, which ultimately affects both the brain and respiratory system,” she said.

Offor advised the public against placing generators near living spaces, warning that generators should be positioned far from homes to prevent direct exposure to toxic fumes.