A tragedy has shaken Partinico, near Palermo in Italy, where a 37-year-old woman and her 21-year-old son were found lifeless in the garage of their home.
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The victims have been identified as Rosalia La Manna, 37, and Vincenzo Troia, 21.
According to investigators’ preliminary reconstruction, the young man had entered one of the two underground tanks in the garage to retrieve some nets used for collecting olives.
Inside the space, it is suspected that there was an excessively high concentration of carbon dioxide and insufficient oxygen levels. For this reason, the 21-year-old lost consciousness and died.
His mother, alarmed after not seeing him come out of the tank, went to check. The suspicion is that Rosalia La Manna was also exposed to the gas and lost her life.
The authorities’ initial hypothesis is that the deaths may have been caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide in the two underground tanks located in the garage.
Due to the risk of gases, emergency teams were deployed, including specialists from the NBC unit, equipped with work tools and oxygen cylinders.
Firefighters determined that there was not enough oxygen in the tanks to ensure survival. Meanwhile, specialized teams continued the operation to secure the area.
Rosalia La Manna owned an agricultural business, and the underground tanks were used for storing nets used during the olive harvest.
According to authorities, organic residue that had remained for a long time may have helped create and accumulate carbon dioxide in the enclosed environment.
Investigators are examining how the gas concentration formed and whether other toxic substances may have been present in the space.
The Carabinieri have opened an investigation to clarify all the circumstances of the incident.
The mayor of Partinico, Pietro Rao, expressed his condolences to the family and community after the double loss.
“Our community mourns the death of young Vincenzo and his mother, victims of a terrible tragedy,” Rao stated.
He disclosed that the underground tank had once been used for storing wine and was later adapted as a storage space.
According to the mayor, initial information points to poisoning from extremely dangerous gases, particularly carbon dioxide, but the final determination of the cause will only be made after technical investigations.
“The technical investigations will clarify the exact causes of the accident,” he stressed.
