Police in Rivers State have confirmed the tragic deaths of a couple who succumbed to generator fumes inside their apartment in Port Harcourt Township. The unidentified man and woman had placed a generator in their home’s passageway, a decision that proved fatal.

James, an eyewitness, shared details with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, explaining that the incident occurred amid a power outage and heavy rain on a Friday night. “They likely thought keeping the generator in the passage would be safe enough from their bedroom,” he said. However, by late Saturday morning, neighbors grew worried when the couple failed to emerge.

After knocking on the door with no response, co-tenants forced their way into the apartment. “They found the couple’s lifeless bodies,” James recounted. The discovery was promptly reported to the Central Police Station in Port Harcourt Township.

SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed that the deaths resulted from carbon monoxide poisoning. She added that the couple’s bodies have been moved to a morgue.

Dr. Chinazor Offor, a Port Harcourt-based medical expert, elaborated on the dangers of carbon monoxide, noting that it binds to hemoglobin, displacing oxygen and causing heart and respiratory failure. “Within five to 15 minutes of exposure, the heart stops pumping blood, shutting down the brain and lungs,” she explained. Offor urged the public to keep generators well away from living areas, stressing that proximity to toxic fumes poses a lethal risk.

The incident serves as a grim reminder of the hazards of improper generator use, with authorities and experts calling for greater awareness to prevent such tragedies.