3 dead and 23 hospitalized in Port Arthur, all due to possible CO poisoning
PORT ARTHUR, Texas (KTRK) -- Three people are dead and 23 others were taken to the hospital after possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
It happened in the Port Arthur area. Hospital officials say there were actually two incidents, and both were generator-related. The first one happening sometime before 2:30 a.m. on Friday.
Seventeen people went to the Medical Center of Southeast Texas in Port Arthur. A young person from that group was taken to a hospital in Houston. The other 16 were later released.
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Then, there was a second incident later around 10 a.m.
A group of people were at a game room that did not have power in Port Arthur. The Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management said the group had a generator inside of the building.
Three people sadly died and six others went to the hospital. Friday afternoon, four remained in critical condition and two others that were in stable condition are being released.
Neighbors said the three that died were shrimpers.
One of them worked on Khiem Nguyen's boat. Nguyen's wife, Maryann, said one of the men always did whatever her husband needed.
"He was very nice. I almost cried. He always say, 'Yes, ma'am. Yes, sir'," said Maryann Nguyen.
The incidents prompted the county judge to send out a mobile alert to residents about generator safety.
The county said they're getting more calls about generator related issues.
"We are getting calls from law enforcement that are saying that there are other people throughout our county that are using these generators incorrectly and becoming affected by these fumes. So we want to make sure that people realize you cannot use a generator inside of a closed building," said Allison Getz, Jefferson County, Office of Emergency Management.
