Simon Hunter
A WOMAN and her son were left dead after their family business was fumigated in a village in Spain’s Segovia province. The woman’s husband was also hospitalised in a serious condition, possibly due to the products used in the pest-control process.
The government’s sub-delegation in Segovia confirmed to Spanish daily El Pais that the fumigation is the likely cause of the deaths and illness, but this is still yet to be confirmed.
The Civil Guard has opened an investigation, and has cordoned off their home as a precautionary measure.
The incident took place in Carbonero de Ahusin, which has just 100 inhabitants and is part of a municipality called Armuña.
The son, who was aged 16, died on Sunday in his home after having sought medical treatment the day before after falling ill
On Monday, the parents went to the Segovia Hospital and were immediately admitted. The wife died on Monday afternoon and the husband was taken to the intensive care unit.
The family’s home is located some 50 metres from the warehouse where the parents worked, and which was labelled with signs warning of the use of ‘very toxic gases’ as part of the fumigation process such as aluminium phosphide, commonly used as a fumigant.
The central government’s subdelegate in Segovia, Lirio Martin, called for calm among residents of Carbonero de Ahusin, and encouraged them not to speculate. ‘Right now everything that we know are just indications,’ she said, in comments reported by El Pais.
Autopsies will now be carried out on the victims to determine the cause of the deaths.
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