Three Americans found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning at Mexico City Airbnb, official says
More than two dozen people including two United States citizens and a Mexican national were found dead in a guest house near Monterrey, Mexico, Wednesday, according to local officials, who said they believe the apparent carbon monoxide poisoning death toll is higher and that more than one person may have been killed.
“There is a possibility that several people may have been killed by carbon monoxide in a building housing a hostel that has long been a problem,” the local prosecutor’s office said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The bodies have been transferred to several hospitals due to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, the statement said.
A local television station showed what it said was video footage obtained by police showing a door of the building open to show a pool of water and a bag floating in it. The station said it had obtained the video from a neighbor who complained of a stench coming from the building.
“We don’t know why someone would try to enter the building with such a large container,” said Rafael Romero, director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), according to the television report.
The authorities told the station the victims had died of burns, according to the report.
A woman from the NBI told the TV station she suspected a number of people were dead because of carbon monoxide poisoning while the others were missing.
On Wednesday morning, local authorities said they took part in the recovery operations at the hotel, which are in the city of Benito Juarez because the hotel was close to the airport, said Alejandro Gómez Cintio, a spokesman for the city government.
Police officials said the deaths appear to be connected, the report said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the hotel had been on fire when the authorities arrived.
The hotel is in a large area, making the search extremely challenging
