Nine deaths recorded in Jordan’s Zarqa in one day from gas heater leaks

• Nine people from two separate families died in Zarqa within 24 hours due to carbon monoxide poisoning from leaking gas heaters left running in closed rooms.
• The victims, which included an expectant mother and four young children, were killed by unsafe gas heaters that lacked automatic shut-off features for low oxygen levels.

The forensic medical department in Zarqa recorded nine fatalities from two separate families within the past 24 hours in the Hashemiyah area of Zarqa.

All deaths were attributed to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning resulting from gas heater leaks.

Two Families Succumb to "Silent Killer"

A forensic medical source confirmed that autopsies were conducted on all nine bodies, showing external signs consistent with carbon monoxide asphyxiation.

In the first tragic incident involving four members of the same family—both the mother and father in their 70s, and their two children in their 20s—a source close to the investigation told Roya that the victims had visited a hospital a day before their deaths feeling unwell.

They received treatment and returned home. On the day of the incident, a son came home, and after spending time together, the family went to sleep, leaving a gas heater running with all windows and doors closed. The family was later found deceased.

In the second incident, the source reported that an expectant mother and her four young children, of Arab nationality, died after being exposed to carbon monoxide while sleeping.

The source noted the gas heater as the common cause of death with the two families, specifically units that lack automatic shut-off safety features when oxygen levels in the room deplete.

This adds to a previous incident earlier in December where a family of three died due to CO poisoning from a gas heater leak while they slept.