A 60-year-old Austrian tourist died, and ten people were poisoned by carbon monoxide in an apartment building in central Trieste overnight between Monday and Tuesday.
Firefighters are investigating the cause of the leak, which affected several holiday rental apartments in the building.
The victim’s wife, also 60, was among those injured but is the only person hospitalised. The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. Authorities continue to probe the incident.
Carbon Monoxide Incidents Across Italy
The event in Trieste follows other recent cases of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Italy. On Monday, a German tourist died, and four others fell ill in Cefalù, Palermo province, reportedly due to fumes from a fireplace in their rented holiday home. Firefighters found the villa’s chimney full of smoke, suggesting the poisoning was caused by embers.
In another incident on Christmas Day, a 66-year-old woman died in Carnia, near Udine, while her 73-year-old husband and 28-year-old daughter remain in critical condition. Investigators suspect the home’s heating system emitted carbon monoxide.
Meanwhile, a six-year-old girl is in critical but stable condition at Florence’s Meyer Pediatric Hospital after her parents and brother were found dead last Thursday in San Felice a Ema, near Florence. Authorities believe carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause.
These cases highlight the dangers caused by faulty heating systems or poor ventilation. Authorities urge property owners to ensure heating systems and fireplaces and chimneys are properly maintained, particularly in the colder months.
