Police warn of gas poisoning in running cars

Colonel Khaled Obaid Saeed bin Shamsi, Director General of the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Sharjah has warned about a new “killer” in the UAE.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Colonel Shamsi said that inhalation of carbon monoxide is a new threat to UAE society and he added that a lack of awareness and attention to cars and cooling devices makes CO2 a long-term threat and a “leaking gas” killer.

He said that since the beginning of the year, Sharjah Police have recorded seven cases of suffocation due to inhalation of carbon monoxide.
Col Shamsi added that all those who died in these cases  were in a state of deep sleep in their cars with the ACs on, and therefore, did not feel the gas.

Col Shamsi said people who sleep in their cars with the ACs on, for whatever reason, were most at risk.
He adds that sleeping inside the car for a long period - more than an hour – with the air-conditioner turned on, leads to carbon monoxide leaking in the car

“One cannot feel it, as it has no colour or smell or taste,” he adds. Col Shamsi also urged families not to leave children in cars while shopping.

Dr Arif Alnoriana, Executive Director of Al Qassimi Hospital, says: “There are many cases that the hospital has treated - suffocation due to inhalation of carbon monoxide.” Dr Alnoriana says  that most of the cases reach the hospital in a coma due to inhalation of the gas.
 

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