Parents, child dead in gas heater incident

AMMAN — A family of three perished late Wednesday in the latest gas heater incident to occur in the Kingdom, official sources said.

The family — consisting of a 28-year-old father, his wife, 26, and their son, 3 — were found dead in the living room by a relative, a senior official source said.

“Colleagues attempted to contact the victims on Wednesday morning because they failed to show up at work but they did not answer their phones so they informed their relatives,” added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

The victims’ relatives rushed to their home and broke down the door. They found the family dead with a gas heater next to them, the official told The Jordan Times.

The family was rushed to a nearby hospital by the Civil Defence Department (CDD) but were declared dead on arrival, a CDD official said.

“Preliminary investigations indicated that the family died from carbon monoxide poisoning, but the final results are pending until an autopsy is conducted,” the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

He added that “a gas heater was in the room and there wasn’t enough ventilation, which caused their death”.

Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi ruled out foul play.

“It was a tragic incident that is related to a gas heater.  Foul play is ruled out by police,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

On Thursday, the CDD said in a statement that two people suffered smoke inhalation in a fire that erupted at their house in Aqaba when the heater overturned. 

Rescue teams administered first aid to the injured and took them to Prince Hashem Military Hospital, where they were reported to be in fair condition. 

Heater-related accidents in Jordan have claimed over 20 lives since November, according to CDD figures.

Last winter, 307 incidents resulted in 23 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

CDD officials have repeatedly issued warnings urging the public not to keep kerosene and gas heaters on for long periods, ventilate homes and make sure the hoses connected to gas cylinders are attached correctly.