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Newlywed husband and wife from South Africa have been found dead in their bed after an adjoining flat had been fumigated.
Nicholas Molver, 35, and his wife Matri Molver, 34, were found unresponsive at their apartment on Currie Road located in the Musgrave suburb, in Durban, South Africa.
The incident occurred following fumigation in the adjoining vacant flat at around 10am on Wednesday, 28th September.
A relative of the couple reportedly attempted to contact them on their phones, but then decided to go to their flat and speak to them directly when they did not respond.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said: “Upon arrival of the family member, who entered the flat, two relatives were found unresponsive.”
The family member then immediately alerted the paramedics who were dispatched following reports of an alleged chemical exposure at one of the units at a block of flats.
Aside from the emergency services eThekwini Fire and Rescue Services, the SAPS Explosives Unit and Berea SAPS were also called to the scene where they arrived within minutes.
Herbst said: “It was established that an adjoining vacant flat had been fumigated using a white powder-like substance.
“The flat next door had droplets of white chemical powder – about a tablespoon of powder placed at metre intervals.
“We are trying to find out what company did the fumigation. Police said only professional companies are allowed to use this chemical.”
Emergency crews reportedly used an industrial fan to clear the toxic fumes.
Herbst added: “A Netcare 911 Rescue Technician with the Fire Department used self-contained breathing apparatus to enter the home unit, where they found an adult male and an adult female unresponsive in the bed.
“Both patients were assessed, however, showed no signs of life and were sadly declared deceased.”
A neighbour of the couple whose identity was not disclosed, told local media: “It’s shocking and terribly sad. The couple were lovely and had recently been married.
“The guy had been living here for over 10 years, and he was so helpful and active on the group chats.”
Residents of the building reportedly felt a chemical smell one day prior to the incident, but they thought it was coming from a nearby factory.
Meanwhile, all of the building’s windows remained open on Thursday morning, 29th September.
Herbst clarified that no one else was treated on the scene.
He said: “Circumstances leading up to the incident will be investigated by the relevant authorities.”
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