Around 8 a.m., residents discovered 4 unconscious family members inside a 200+ square meter house, a noodle shop on Ky La Street, Tran Phu Village, Thien Cam Commune. A strange smell, suspected to be carbon monoxide, was present at the scene, along with a running generator.
 |
The house where the incident occurred, midday 28/8. Photo: Thao Nguyen |
The house where the incident occurred, midday 28/8. Photo: Thao Nguyen
Authorities confirmed the shop owners, husband and wife, were deceased. Their two young children are in critical condition and have been hospitalized. Initial assessments suggest the incident occurred on the evening of 27/8, with the victims likely succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning from the generator operating in the enclosed house. Thien Cam Commune has experienced widespread power outages for the past three days, leading many households to use generators.
The family, originally from Cam Trung Commune, rented the space in Thien Cam for their business.
On 26/8, an elderly couple, aged 79 and 74, in the former Ky Anh town were also found unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running while they slept. Relatives discovered them and took them to the hospital.
According to medical experts, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and difficult-to-detect gas. Upon inhalation, it quickly enters the bloodstream, reducing oxygen levels, leading to headaches, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and impaired consciousness. Around 40% of those affected by carbon monoxide poisoning may experience long-term effects, including memory loss, hemiplegia, and difficulty walking.
If someone is suspected of carbon monoxide poisoning, open windows for ventilation, move the victim to fresh air, and immediately transport them to the nearest medical facility.
 |
Severely damaged power lines in Ha Tinh after Typhoon Kajiki. Photo: Duc Hung |
Severely damaged power lines in Ha Tinh after Typhoon Kajiki. Photo: Duc Hung
Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in the Thanh Hoa – Ha Tinh provinces on the evening of 25/8, with wind gusts up to level 13, causing widespread heavy rain. By the afternoon of 27/8, 5 deaths, 3 missing persons, and 47 injuries were reported across northern and north-central Vietnam. Over 30,000 houses were damaged, along with thousands of hectares of rice paddies, crops, and aquaculture. Hundreds of traffic points experienced landslides, and at its peak, 1.6 million customers lost power.
Duc Hung
