quote:Two British children have been found dead in a hotel room on the island of Corfu, Greek police have said. Their parents were found unconscious in the same hotel room and are now in hospital in comas.
It is not yet known how the children died but a local coroner has suggested they could have consumed some kind of strong poison.
"Strong poison"? If they hadn't said that it would have sounded like classic carbon monoxide poisoning to me... would that be classed as a "strong poison"?
-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Carbon monoxide poisoning was my first thought, too.
If I was that mom, I'm not sure I would want to wake up...
-------------------- The technical term is narcissism. You can't believe everything is your fault unless you also believe you're all powerful.--House Posts: 2684 | From: Budapest | Registered: Sep 2005
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Dara bhur gCara
As Shepherds Watched Their Flocks Buy Now Pay Later
posted
But how likely is it that a hotel room in Corfu would have a fuel-burning heater?
I've stayed in hotels in a few of the Greek islands, and they rarely had any heating at all, simply because it's not necessary. I suppose if they're self-catering apartments, they might have a gas cooker or something.
quote:[the coroner] told Greek television news there was evidence that a strong poison had been consumed.
I wonder what evidence this is? It would seem, to me in any case, to imply that there was evidence of oral consumption of a toxin, rather than inadvertent inhalation of a gas.
-------------------- This wrinkle in time, I can't give it no credit, I thought about my space and it really got me down. Got me so down, I got me a headache, My heart is crammed in my cranium and it still knows how to pound Posts: 2794 | From: London, UK | Registered: Aug 2003
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Gas cooker was my first thought - we had a couple of gas rings staying self-catering iin Greece.
-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:But how likely is it that a hotel room in Corfu would have a fuel-burning heater?
It might be a fuel-burning water heater. I've seen that in Greece, Jordan and Portugal.
Then again, it might be something like the lethal wine thingy a decade or so ago, when some unsuitable sweetener had been used. In other words, massive stupidity rather than homicidal intent.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:But how likely is it that a hotel room in Corfu would have a fuel-burning heater?
It might be a fuel-burning water heater. I've seen that in Greece, Jordan and Portugal.
When you say "fuel burning" do you mean gas, too? Because there is a serious problem in Hungary with gas water heaters and CM poisoning, in apartment buildings and homes alike.
-------------------- The technical term is narcissism. You can't believe everything is your fault unless you also believe you're all powerful.--House Posts: 2684 | From: Budapest | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
According to a radio report I've just listened to on the BBC, CO and food poisoning have been ruled out, and the "consumption of a strong poison" is being put forward as the working theory - whether or not part of a suicide/murder pact on behalf of a/the parent(s) is still speculation but the possibility is being investigated.
How awful for the rest of the family.
-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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Dara bhur gCara
As Shepherds Watched Their Flocks Buy Now Pay Later
posted
quote:Originally posted by Little Pink Pill:
quote:Originally posted by Troberg:
quote:But how likely is it that a hotel room in Corfu would have a fuel-burning heater?
It might be a fuel-burning water heater. I've seen that in Greece, Jordan and Portugal.
When you say "fuel burning" do you mean gas, too? Because there is a serious problem in Hungary with gas water heaters and CM poisoning, in apartment buildings and homes alike.
Yeah, gas counts as fuel, as do coal, anthracite, briquettes or even wood. CO is a by-product of combustion, essentially, no matter what you're burning.
-------------------- This wrinkle in time, I can't give it no credit, I thought about my space and it really got me down. Got me so down, I got me a headache, My heart is crammed in my cranium and it still knows how to pound Posts: 2794 | From: London, UK | Registered: Aug 2003
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They seem to be leaning towards the gas leak theory now (although they don't say which gas, but if it's from the heating system I'm presuming CO again).
quote:A number of theories are being considered - including the suggestion that the family may have been poisoned by something they ate, or may have been victims of a gas leak.
The BBC's Malcolm Brabant, in Corfu, said the cause of death remained a "mystery" because sources at Corfu General Hospital had said early tests suggested the family had not consumed anything poisonous.
Many hotel guests feared that the family may have been overwhelmed by "toxic fumes" that may have been related to a heating system, he said.
He also said guests had reported seeing Robert collapse at breakfast earlier in the day, and that the family had complained of feeling "woozy".
-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
It looks like it may have been the water heater.
quote:The pathologist, the third to have carried out a post mortem examination on the children, said they had been poisoned by gas. His findings ruled out any suggestion that, as had first been thought, the family had been poisoned by something they had eaten.
There was a gas heater adjoining their room belching out black smoke and sludge, but the hotel claimed there were no gas appliances at the resort. And from the ealier articles, the staff also said the family was perfectly fine leading up to the deaths, while guests said the dad collapsed at breakfast.
-------------------- The technical term is narcissism. You can't believe everything is your fault unless you also believe you're all powerful.--House Posts: 2684 | From: Budapest | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet claims that mushrooms may be the culprit. Makes some sense, as that's the only likely source of strong poison in food.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
The BBC reported on the 9:00 Radio Two news that the coronor has stated that the two children had very high levels of carbon monoxide in their bodies. Authorities are looking at a gas water heater. Their deaths may have 'severe implications' for the hotel where many holiday makers are still staying.
quote: Pathologist professor Theodore Vouyouklais, who carried out the post-mortem examination on the bodies, said investigators believed the source was a hot water boiler in a room next to the one the family was staying in - although this theory has not yet been proved.
-------------------- Andrew, Ware, England Posts: 1709 | From: Ware, England | Registered: Apr 2003
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-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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