Toxic fumes kill sleeping five in their Eastern Cape house

Five people were found dead from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in their house in Mdantsane‚ in the Eastern Cape‚ on Wednesday morning.

Carbon monoxide is a gas that is produced when fossil fuels such as coal‚ natural gas and oil are burned. A relative found four women and a man unresponsive at 7am.

Police were called to the two-roomed RDP house in NU3 and discovered the victims dead in the lounge and bedroom.

The house was filled with fumes from a running generator located in the toilet. This is what police and health officials suspected killed the victims.

The house is situated in the newly established Ilinge township where electricity has not yet been installed.

Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi visited the scene of the incident and said the victims had no visible injuries.

The names of the deceased will only be released once their next of kin have been informed about their deaths.

The Dispatch was at the scene and found relatives and neighbours of the family in tears while the bodies were being taken away by two mortuary vans.

- TMG Digital/DispatchLIVE