Two brothers aged two and four from Buda village of Calarasi district died poisoned by carbon monoxide after live coals fell from the stove on the floor covered with highly flammable material. Contacted by IPN, press officer of the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service Diana Turcan said that when on the spot the firefighters established that there was no fire inside and the floor near the stove was damaged on a small area. It is presumed that the children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

The incident happened in the evening of April 21. According to the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service, the children were found by their mother when she returned home. The circumstances of the tragedy are to be established by expert bodies, while the cause of death of the children will be determined as a result of medical examinations.

To avoid carbon monoxide poisonings and fires, the firefighters remind of the necessity of respecting the rules of exploiting stoves by a video clip that can be accessed here. The persons are urged to clean the stoves and check them for cracks and not to overheat them. It is also indicated that the fuels and highly flammable materials should not be placed near heated surfaces. To avoid fires caused by live coals, the firefighters recommend placing a piece of metal board in front of the stove door.

The people are also urged to put out the fire at night and when they leave home. The rescuers warn that the adults should not leave the children unsupervised, especially when there is fire in the stove or other electrical hearing devices nearby. The rescuers also recommend airing in the morning the rooms where fire was made so as to avoid the risk of poisoning.

More information about how to create a danger-free home and to protect the children in different situations can be found at www.parinti.md and following the activities carried out within the Regionalization of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Services in the Republic of Moldova Project (REPEMOL), which inform parents about how to prevent home accidents involving children younger than five. The REPEMOL project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and is implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Services in partnership with the Ministry of Health.