A 61-year-old woman has died and two relatives are in a serious condition following suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a home in Monte Gordo, Vila Real de Santo António, on Thursday.
The victims are believed to be a married couple and their daughter, all of American nationality and residents in the Algarve. The incident occurred at the property where they were living and is thought to have been caused by a faulty gas water heater.
The deceased woman was pronounced dead shortly after emergency services arrived at the scene. Her husband, 67, and daughter, 35, were initially taken to the Emergency Unit in Vila Real de Santo António before being transferred to Faro Hospital for further treatment.
The alarm was raised at 12:41pm. Emergency crews provided assistance at the scene, but the 61-year-old victim could not be saved.
According to information obtained by national newspaper Jornal de Notícias, preliminary investigations point to a carbon monoxide leak originating from the water heater.
Firefighters from Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim attended the incident, alongside Tavira’s Sapadores fire brigade and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM). The National Republican Guard (GNR) also deployed patrol officers and criminal investigation teams to the property, initially suspecting foul play.
The family, originally from the United States, reportedly spends extended periods in Monte Gordo, where they own a residence.
Source: Jornal de Notícias (JN)
