A single mother and her disabled daughter were tragically found dead inside their car after allegedly inhaling exhaust fumes while resting by the roadside early this morning.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the incident occurred around 12am in Melaka, with the victims being identified as 57-year-old Chabana and her 25-year-old daughter Indan Noshafika (transliteration), both of whom are from Alor Gajah.
Believe to have stopped to rest
According to Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, preliminary investigations revealed that the mother had been driving with her daughter when she reportedly felt tired and decided to stop by the roadside with the engine and air-conditioning running.
It is believed the pair fell asleep inside the vehicle with the windows shut before succumbing to what police suspect was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Nearby villagers told police that the car had been parked in the area since around 9pm the night before but did not suspect anything amiss.
At 11pm, residents noticed something was wrong as the vehicle remained motionless with its engine running, prompting them to call the police.
Both victims were found semi-reclined in the driver’s and passenger seats with the air-conditioning still on and medical officers later confirmed they had died at the scene.
Investigation ongoing
Police received a report regarding the incident at 12.24am and are currently investigating the case as sudden death.
The bodies were sent to Melaka Central Hospital for post-mortem examinations and blood samples from both victims have been taken to determine whether carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death.
