A 31-year-old woman and her three children died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Chełmno, prompting police to arrest a chimney sweep who had inspected the building.
Tragedy in Chełmno Tenement House
The tragedy occurred in one of the tenement houses on the outskirts of Chełmno’s Old Town. As a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, a 31-year-old woman and her three children aged 2, 7, and 12 died. Firefighters, summoned by the woman’s sister who had been unable to contact her for several days and whose children were not attending school, found the bodies. Upon entering the apartment, services detected very high levels of carbon monoxide. The family was using a gas heater.
Chimney Sweep Arrested
As determined by a TVN24 reporter, on Thursday, January 22, police arrested a chimney sweep who had previously conducted inspections in the tenement building where the tragedy occurred. The man is to be interrogated. For now, it has not been revealed whether he will be charged or what role he could have played in the case. Investigators are checking whether the inspections were carried out properly and whether the technical documentation matched the actual condition of the building.
Co-owner Arrested Earlier
A few days earlier, the prosecutor’s office had arrested Joanna M., a co-owner of the house. The woman was temporarily arrested and charged with incitement to forge documents concerning the inspection and control of a gas heater. – The co-owner of the apartment, Joanna M., was charged with incitement to forge documents confirming the activities of inspection and control of a gas heater. She tried to obtain such a document after this tragedy was revealed – informed Izabella Oliver, a spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Toruń. She added that the woman was aware that the person she approached did not have the required qualifications.
Unintentional Death Investigation
The prosecutor’s office is conducting proceedings for unintentional causing of death. At the current stage, the involvement of third parties in the event itself is excluded, but possible technical and administrative negligence is being investigated. One of the likely hypotheses is the poor condition of the gas heater. Autopsies of the victims’ bodies are expected to determine exactly when the tragedy occurred.
Building Evacuated
After the incident, the building supervision ordered the remaining tenants of the tenement house to vacate their apartments until a detailed technical inspection is carried out. Inspectors are to check, among other things, gas installations, flue ducts, and ventilation. In a conversation with TVN’s “Uwaga,” a former tenant of the apartment where the tragedy occurred stated that she had reported installation problems to Joanna M. many years ago.