Vadakara: The initial post-mortem report has confirmed that the death of two men in the caravan parked at Karimbanappalam, Vadakara, were caused by carbon monoxide inhalation. The two victims, Manoj (48), a driver from Malappuram, and Joel (26), an IT employee from Kasaragod, had stopped the caravan to rest after transporting a bride and groom to Kannur on Sunday. The police suspect that the carbon monoxide was released from the generator that powered the vehicle's air conditioning, which was operating while they were resting inside.
Manoj, a driver for Frontline Hospitality and Property Management, and Joel were traveling back from Kannur when they stopped at Karimbanappalam to rest. The two were found unresponsive the next morning, with Manoj's body near the caravan door and Joel's body on the bed. There was a trace of blood coming from the nose. The deaths might have occurred shortly after the vehicle was parked.
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A forensic team, including Dr Sujith Sreenivasan from Kozhikode Medical College, visited the caravan by evening for further investigation. On Tuesday morning, fingerprint experts, forensic team, and a dog squad were dispatched to the site to collect evidence. Officials from the RTO and the PWD electrical wing also joined the investigation.
Forensic surgeon Dr Sujith Sreenivasan and Assistant Professor Dr P P Ajesh visited the site after the postmortem. They gathered information from Rural SP P Nidhinraj, DySP Prakashan Padannayil, and Inspector N Sunilkumar. Following the post-mortem, the bodies were handed over to the families for final rites.
Police to conduct further testing on generator
The police plan to conduct tests to determine if the carbon monoxide entered the caravan from the generator. The generator is located in a cabin that can be accessed from the outside, and it runs while the AC is in use inside the vehicle. The police will operate the generator with the AC on and use a carbon monoxide detector to confirm whether it was the source of the deadly gas.
Normally, when the AC is running in a parked caravan, the generator is kept outside. However, if it is operated inside the cabin, there is a risk of carbon monoxide entering the cabin. The police confirmed that this warning is indicated on the generator's label. The test will confirm whether this was the cause of the danger.
Manoj is survived by his wife Priya and their children Meenakshi and Gayathri. He was the son of Kesavan Nair and Saradamma. Joel, the son of Augustine and Cecily, is survived by his siblings Justin and Cincy.
Published: 25 Dec 2024, 08:18 am IST
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