Concern Grows Over Deaths In Mexico City Due To Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The three American tourists who were found dead in an Airbnb in Mexico City on Oct. 30 are believed to have died from gas inhalation. Authorities confirmed the tourists were in the capital ahead of holiday celebrations for the Day of the Dead. Childhood friends Kandace Florence, Jordan Marhsall and Courtez Hall, were all found unresponsive in their apartment.

According to CNN, an investigation was launched by Mexican authorities to dig for further evidence of their deaths. Experts indicated that all three U.S. citizens that were checked into the Airbnb located in the La Rosita neighborhood died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Security guards at the residential complex detected an intense smell of gas in the apartment which prompted them to request assistance from local authorities. Agents who arrived at the apartment unit found two unresponsive male tenants and one unconscious female. Emergency responders determined the victims were already dead at the scene.

Florence's boyfriend, Victor Day, told reporters that he had checked in on her around 4:10 a.m. ET at which she said she was not feeling well and wanted to go home. Day said Florence felt like she had been drugged and during their FaceTime, she appeared quite distressed. When he tried to contact her later that morning she was no longer picking up his calls. He tried to reach out to her accompanying friend Marshall but he did not reply as well. Day called the Airbnb host to request a wellness check on the group and about 15 minutes later, the host replied to him stating all occupants in the apartment were found unresponsive and with no vital signs.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths of Marshal and Florence, both 28 years old and Courtez who was 33. They said they are keeping tabs on the investigation as they await official findings from Mexican authorities.

Records show this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Mexico. In fact, this type of death has been a persistent menace in Mexico due to the lack of monitoring devices for gas line installations and vents. Earlier this year, two employees from a coast resort at Playa del Carmen were killed when a gas tank exploded.

Back in 2018, another gas leak in a water heater killed an American couple and their two children at a resort in Tulum. In 2010, an improperly installed gas line at a hotel in Playa del Carmen caused the deaths of 5 Canadian tourists and two Mexicans. Prosecutors in these cases all pointed fingers at the lack of maintenance, improper installation and the age of the equipment as the main culprit for these tragic accidents.

These tragedies have now been a cause for major concern following the influx of Americans moving to Mexico. Mexico City’s government recently signed an agreement for short-term rentals in a bid to support city Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum’s efforts to bolster the number of digital nomads who prefer to work even while on vacation mode in Mexico City.