Five people have been confirmed dead after inhaling generator fumes.

A family of three, comprising a man, his wife and child were among the victims. The incident happened in Emeyal community, Ogbia, Bayelsa.

A dweller in the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch, “The entire family slept on Sunday. There was no sign of them till Wednesday afternoon when we started smelling foul odour from their house.

“The odour was saturating the entire neighbourhood and it got us curious. The family always kept to themselves and that was why nobody discovered them on time. Toxic gas from a generator killed them. They must have inhaled it while sleeping. We called the police.”

Confirming the incident, the police identified the deceased family’s name as Ibieneye Tubotamuno.

Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said bodies of the victims were discovered at about 3.50pm on Wednesday following distress calls to the police by people of the area.

Butswat said, “On July 29, 2015 at about 15:50 hours, policemen responded to a distress call, that a foul smell was oozing out of the house of one Ibieneye Tubotamuno, at Emeyal Community, in the Ogbia Local Government Area.

“The policemen forced the door open and discovered the dead bodies of Ibieneye Tubotamuno, male, 34; Jennifer Asiagbuladia, female, 30; and Goodluck Tubotamuno, boy, eight years.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased must have died about three days back, when they were last seen, as a result of inhaled fumes from a generator exhaust, which was kept inside their living room.

“Corpses have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre Mortuary, Yenagoa, for autopsy. Investigation is ongoing.”

Ada Igboanugo