In Amarillo Texas, on the second day of 2017, four children died after being exposed to a poisonous gas. The father of the family tried to wash away a pesticide that had been sprayed under a Texas home that resulted in the deaths of their four children and left six other people hospitalized, officials said Monday.
Phosphine gas was likely released when water mixed with the pest control chemical, Amarillo fire officials said. Authorities are looking into why the family had Weevil-cide, which is only supposed to be sold to people with professional licenses or certification and is marketed for use in rodent control in commercial transport of commodities and animal feed.
The father of the family told first responders through a Spanish language interpreter that he had spread the pellets under the family’s mobile home after obtaining the product from a friend, Amarillo Fire Capt. Larry Davis said. Davis said the product is not available for sale to the general public.
Aluminum phosphide is listed in the Toxicity Category I by the Environmental Protection Agency, the highest and most toxic category. Specifically, the EPA points to the “acute effects via the inhalation route.”
Authorities learned that the father does not have that certification as far as he knows. He did not know whether the friend who gave him the product had a certification. A criminal investigation is underway into an accidental poisoning involving a professional-grade pesticide.
If you or someone you know has been injured by being exposed to a toxic gas, please contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-244-5464 or toll free at 1-888-261-9134.