Neighbours discover decomposing bodies of family of six killed by generator fumes

By AMINAH ADEGOKE

Inhabitants of Rumuomosi, in Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Monday discovered the decomposing bodies of a family of six in the sitting room of their resident.

National Daily gathered that while autopsy was yet to be conducted on the deceased, preliminary investigations indicated that they died from suffocation caused by generator fumes. The generator was said to be kept in the sitting room while it was on to supply electricity to the family.

The landlord, who sought anonymity because the Police is still investigating the matter, was gathered to have said that he saw the family last on Friday morning. The landlord was said to have stated: “Their generator was on when I returned home on Friday evening and I presumed they were inside the house.

“I didn’t see them on Saturday nor Sunday. My junior brother called me this afternoon while I was at work to intimate me that something was happening in my house. So, I rushed down here. I am in shock.”

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One of the neighbours who saw the bodies when the Police arrived to evacuate them, said they were lying on the floor which suggested that the family might have been watching television and, perhaps, slept off in the process, leaving the television and generator on.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident said “the Police had evacuated the bodies and taken them to the mortuary for post-mortem examination.”

The PPRO declared: “The speculation is that the family may have died from carbon monoxide which emanated from their generator. But that has not been scientifically proven. So, we are waiting for autopsy report to make our findings.”