A woman and an 8 year-old girl died in Houston Monday evening of carbon monoxide poisoning while running a car in an effort to stay warm, according to KTRK.
After losing power during rolling blackouts as energy demand spiked during a brutal winter storm, lack of other heat sources led them to try running their vehicle, KTRK reported.
The woman was sitting in the vehicle in the garage, but quickly became disoriented due to the toxic fumes and passed out early Tuesday morning, KTRK reported. She was reportedly on the phone with a relative on the time, who quickly called authorities.
The Houston Police Department arrived to find the woman dead in her car and the 8 year-old unresponsive in the condo, which was attached to the garage where the car was located, according to KTRK.
Mid West officers and HFD were dispatched to 8300 La Roche on a welfare check. Upon making entry they found two adults and two children affected by carbon monoxide poisoning. The adult female and female child did not survive. The adult male and male child were transported. pic.twitter.com/Fya63DSzLQ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) February 16, 2021
Rolling blackouts such as this one have only worsened the effects of the cold snap, which plunged temperatures in Texas to well below freezing and caused over 4 million homes and businesses to lose power. (RELATED: Millions Out Of Power As Texas Struggles With Winter Storm That Rendered Power Grids Inoperable)
“It’s a very difficult time. A lot of people are without power,” Lt. Larry Crowson told the outlet.
“I know it’s cold, but you’ve got to be careful about using generators or cars inside a garage, or any type of fire, grill or charcoal grill. Carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill people very easily.” (RELATED: Terrifying Video Shows A Semi-Truck Losing Control On An Icy Road In Texas)