Three sisters aged four, two and one from Drasliceni village of Criuleni district died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The girls were left home alone with the stove burning. Press officer of the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service Liliana Puscasu has told IPN that the tragedy could have been avoided if at least one of the grownups had supervised them and had aired the room immediately after smelling smoke.

Liliana Puscasu said that 80% of the total fires occur in the housing sector and most of them are caused by people. The parents must not leave the children unsupervised in rooms with burning stoves or where there are heating devices. Firefighters recommend that the stoves should not be overheated and should be checked and cleaned regularly, while the fissures should be stopped up as they pose a poisoning threat. “The Civil Protection and Emergencies Service warns the parents and grownups looking after minors not to leave the children alone in the home even for a short period, especially if there are possible dangers in the room where they stay,” stated the press officer.

Contacted by IPN, the head of the Criuleni Emergencies Section Stefan Manole said it is presumed that the girls got poisoned with fumes emitted by the mattress that caught fire from the linen of their bed. The three girls remained home alone with the stove burning. Their mother said she went to bring water and saw smoke coming out when she was returning, but it was too late for the girls. However, neighbors said the woman was seen at a local bar. The girl’s father wasn’t at home either when the fire started. When he returned home, he said that he knew nothing.

According to a study carried out as part of the REPEMOL (Regionalization of the Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Services in Moldova), Project within the campaign “A Danger-Free Home for Your Child!”, which centered on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of persons looking after children younger than five, only 27.2% of the parents realize the risk of fires starting in their homes. Two years ago, two sisters aged nine months and four years from Jeloboc village of Orhei district died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a fire in their home. The fire was allegedly caused by a faulty cable that caused the TV set to burn. The two sisters were also left home alone.