A woman and her daughter have died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Houston after running a car in the garage to stay warm amid record-low temperatures.
Officers with the Houston Police Department and members of the Houston Fire Department were dispatched to 8300 La Roche for a welfare check, and upon arrival found the four people “affected by carbon monoxide poisoning,” the police department said in a statement on Tuesday, February 16.
“Initial indications are that [a] car was running in the attached garage to create heat as the power is out,” the statement said. “Cars, grills and generators should not be used in or near a building.”
The woman and an 8-year-old girl who was found in the residence did not survive, according to police, while an adult male and a 7-year-old boy were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The unidentified woman had been on the phone with a relative when she became disoriented and passed out in the running car, KTRK reported.
The relative then reportedly called the police, who found the woman dead in the car and the girl dead in the condo.
“This is so heartbreaking,” Chief of Police Art Acevedo said in a statement. “Please bundle up and be aware of the extreme danger carbon monoxide poses for us. Praying for this family.”
“It’s a very difficult time. A lot of people are without power,” Lt. Larry Crowson told reporters at a news conference, according to ABC13. “I know it’s cold, but you’ve got to be careful about using generators or cars inside a garage or any type of fire, grill or charcoal grill. Carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill people very easily.”
