A shocking event occurred yesterday evening in Italy, where an entire family of Albanian origin lost their lives after carbon dioxide poisoning.
Ernest Çela, a neighbor of the family and one of the first to be at the crime scene, recounts the moments when they found the four lifeless bodies of Arti Kola, 48 years old, Jonida Kola, 43 years old, their son, Hajdar, 22 years old, and daughter, Jhesika, 15 years old.
He confessed that when they were found, they still had heartbeats, but that they could not survive.
The carbon monoxide in the apartment was apparently very concentrated, as the young man recounts that from the moment he, his father, the two carabinieri, and Arti Kola's brother entered, he felt unwell.
"Last night at around 9:30 PM, the police patrol arrived along with the uncle of the boy who passed away. We immediately entered the apartment and went up to the second floor, where I saw the 4 lifeless bodies lying unconscious on the ground. At that moment, I immediately went to check if they still had a pulse and up until that moment they still did. Then, for a moment, the boy's uncle, the one who is now hospitalized in Cisanello hospital in serious condition, lost consciousness. Then I also started to lose consciousness along with my father and the two carabinieri who went inside. There we realized that there was something in the air, a gas or something similar. The ambulance arrived at the scene first and then the fire department," he said.
How does carbon monoxide poisoning occur?
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a potentially fatal form of poisoning caused by an invisible, odorless gas. Once inhaled, carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood much more easily than oxygen, preventing the tissues and brain from getting the air they need. This can quickly lead to loss of consciousness and, in severe cases, death from lack of oxygen.