Residents of an apartment in the Český Krumlov region chose a peculiar and hazardous way to cope with the heating season. They thought they would warm themselves with lit tea lights and a charcoal grill when they were cold. However, burning in a space without fresh air soon results in a loss of life due to the high concentration of carbon monoxide.

Rescuers intervened on the night of Friday to Saturday in a block of flats on Šumavská Street in Větřní in the Český Krumlov region. Police spokesman Miroslav Šupík reported the case on Monday.

According to the spokesman, six people were in the apartment, and several dozen tea lights and a charcoal grill were burning due to the cold inside.

“When heating in closed spaces, it is important to have a supply of fresh air. As a result, carbon monoxide was produced in the apartment in a high concentration,” the spokesman described the cause of the health problems of the apartment’s residents that soon followed.

All six people were poisoned by the poisonous gas, which is all the more insidious because it is odorless, non-irritating, and colorless. The emergency services took four of them to the hospital for observation.

The police did not specify which apartment residents thought to drown themselves with tea lights. However, detectives are investigating the circumstances of the case as the negligent battery, for which the potential perpetrator could face up to a year in prison.

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