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Blocked Water Heater Vent Blamed in Villa Devoto Carbon Monoxide Deaths

Officials say a blocked water heater vent trapped combustion gases, confirming lethal carbon monoxide exposure.

Overview

  • Forensic teams reported combustion gases from a faulty-venting water heater accumulated inside the apartment, with tests positive for carbon monoxide and no supply leak detected.
  • The 32-year-old caregiver was pronounced dead at the scene, while the siblings, aged 2 and 4, died hours later at Hospital Zubizarreta.
  • Inspectors found rubble obstructing a section of the heater’s flue, and confirmed the building’s rooftop outlet was clear, localizing the failure to the affected unit.
  • Metrogas cut gas first to the apartment and then to the entire building as a precaution while reviewing all heater exhausts.
  • Prosecutors from Criminal Court No. 13 opened an inquiry into causes of death, with autopsies and further technical reports pending, as the children’s mother publicly recounted discovering the victims.