‘Dentist, newborn daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning’

AMMAN — Authorities on Sunday said that the cause of the death of a 43-year-old dentist and his four-month newborn daughter a day earlier in the Balqa Governorate was carbon monoxide inhalation.

The victim, Ashraf Khleifat, his wife and their four-month-old daughter, were sleeping in a room at their home in Zouhour suburb in Salt with a gas heater lit on, a Civil Defence Department (CDD) official said.

“Our investigations indicated that the room did not have any windows opened so the two suffocated in their sleep,” the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

The three were rushed to Salt Government Hospital where Dr Khleifat was declared dead on arrival, while the newborn died shortly after being admitted,” a second source told The Jordan Times. 

The wife survived and was treated before being released from hospital, the second source added.

The Salt National Institute of Forensic Medicine issued a preliminary report indicating that “the cause of death was carbon monoxide inhalation,” the second source said.

Attending pathologists sent blood and tissue samples to the criminal lab for further analysis, according to the second source.

Several social media users took to Facebook to offer their condolences over the deaths.

“Dr Ashraf was an honest, devoted and hardworking dentist and the news of the deaths comes as a shock to us,” read a post on a Facebook page titled Jordanians in Saudi Arabia.

Mohammad Hammad said on his Facebook page: “Dr Ashraf was a dear and loving friend. He was a hard worker and well-behaved individual. You will be missed”.

Last year, CDD officials said that accidents related to the misuse of heaters continue resulting in several deaths and injuries per year, despite repeated awareness campaigns on ways to safely use heaters at home.

Between November 2015 and January 2016, 75 accidents related to heaters resulted in the deaths of 17 people and caused 187 injuries, the CDD said.

CDD officials urged homeowners to perform periodic maintenance of heaters, ensure the proper ventilation of their homes, and not to fill heaters while they are on.

The public is also urged not to use heaters for cooking or heating water as the food and beverages might spill and cause burns. 

Moreover, homeowners should not leave heaters on while sleeping and should keep an eye on children when heaters are lit. 
The department noted the importance of checking the gas hose in the heater and the gas cylinder, warning against placing heaters in narrow aisles or near curtains or electricity cords.