Teachers and business owner who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Mexico City Airbnb brought light to those around them, families say
María de los Ángeles, 46, and her husband, Manuel, 52, were in bed, when they heard coughing and saw smoke on the floor of the bedroom.
They got out of bed, opened the door and saw smoke and flames surrounding their apartment, they say in a letter to Sen. Ricardo Monreal.
A fire department investigation confirmed that they had been carbon monoxide-treated at the Airbnb they stayed at on June 10.
The couple said they were told by a neighbor to leave the two-story apartment when they heard smoke and started coughing. They didn’t want to risk being responsible for the neighbors, who the police report said were already in bed and asleep when the alarm went off.
But they believed they had to leave the home because they believed it was the only place they could find.
A neighbor, Manuel Llamas, told the news portal La Jornada that they called his brother, who lives in Mexico City, and they also went to his house and asked him if they could return to their apartment. Llamas said he called a police department official and explained the situation.
The police then returned with an investigation team of inspectors, who visited the apartment, Llamas said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. And the team, he said, confirmed the information about the carbon monoxide treatment.
Monreal, a member of the National Front of the Liberal Party, on Tuesday praised the couple for their bravery in taking out their case in media. He said they were “heroes in the fight against carbon monoxide exposure.”
The couple told TV Azteca that they tried calling the landlord for help and he did not answer them. They were left with only one option: to call 911.
The National Commission on Human Rights is carrying out investigations