KANSAS CITY, MO – In a tragic incident on Saturday morning, three men lost their lives in Kansas City, and another is critically ill due to a suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department found the victims around 6:50 a.m. during a response to a carbon monoxide alert at a house on Fuller Avenue.
The fire department found three deceased Hispanic men, their ages ranging from 20 to 40. Another man, in his 30s, was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical state. The fire officials suspect that an indoor generator may have caused the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a perilous gas as it replaces oxygen in the blood, thus depriving vital organs such as the heart and brain of oxygen. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it is both odorless and colorless and can remain undetected without a functioning alarm.
This incident is not an isolated one. Last Wednesday, a similar situation occurred at Washington State College, where one student succumbed and two others fell ill due to an apparent carbon monoxide leak. In a previous incident last month in Kansas City, a gas-powered generator running inside a house led to the carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of two men and a teenage boy.
Michael Hopkins, a spokesman for the Kansas City Fire Department, had previously issued warnings about the hazards of gas generators. He stressed the importance of using them outdoors to ensure adequate ventilation, as even small gas-powered engines release carbon monoxide. The gas, though initially in small amounts, can accumulate in the system over time and prove fatal.