Unattended children may suffocate in locked vehicles
Children left alone in cars may die of suffocation due to lack of oxygen and heatstroke.
The investigation in many cases have found that victims of those locked up in the cars inhaled poisonous carbon monoxide gas, which led to their deaths.
Col Dr Abdul Kader Al Amiri, director of forensic laboratory, said that carbon monoxide is a poisonous, colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which is called the ‘silent killer’. It slowly reduces the flow of oxygen and once it reaches the brain, leads to unconsciousness, coma, permanent brain damage and even death.
In December last year, police recorded the death of three Asians due to suffocation of carbon monoxide produced by running generator while were sleeping in their room. Two years ago, two housemaids died of the same toxic gas produced by burning charcoal which they kept in their room to keep themselves warm.
Besides, children who locked up in the car can die of heatstroke if the car is parked in a narrow area or exposed to sunrays.
Even if the temperature is 15 degrees celsius outside, your car can still heat up to well above 43 degrees. If the body temperature exceeds 40 degrees it will lead to heatstroke.
If the outside temperature is 36 degrees a day, temperature inside a vehicle can become deadly as it peaks in 10 minutes. Moreover, a child’s body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult. “High temperatures increase oxygen pressure inside a locked car when the engine is switched off which causes suffocation due to inhalation of toxic gases that are released from plastic or leather seats,” Al Amiri said.
“In case the car’s engine was left on, the temperature of the radiator may cause a fire in the car,” he said, urging parents to be more vigilant and careful about their children.
An official at the Ajman forensic laboratory said that carbon monoxide emissions from generators, vehicle exhaust, or while operating an indoor air conditioner with no ventilation openings, causes poisoning, suffocation, and death.
A person exposed to such poisonous gas will get suffocated and fell unconscious gradually and eventually die in less than an hour.
Due to the dangers and increasing cases related to the inhalation of poisonous carbon monoxide, the police authorities have organised numerous awareness campaigns to educate people about keeping children inside the cars while they go for shopping or prayers. Carbon monoxide is also produced from furnaces, boilers, gas stoves and ovens, charcoal and wood burning stoves, water heaters and clothes dryers.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com