A family of ten were struck down by lethal fumes sparked by a chemical reaction when one person tied to wash off the pesticide.

THE tragic siblings who died from lethal gas poisoning when a pesticide to kill mice was used in their house have been pictured.

Yasmeen Balderas, 17, and her three younger brothers Johnnie, Josue and Felipe died after someone used “restricted use” chemical Aluminium Phosphide in their Texas home.


Fire officials said that a devastating chemical reaction occurred yesterday when one person tried to wash the pesticide off of something.

Johnnie, nine, Josue, 11, and seven-year-old Felipe have been pictured with their older sister on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money to support the Balderas family.

Four other children and the father were also in the home at the time and were in a stable condition.

The mother was in hospital in a serious condition after the tragedy in Amarillo yesterday.



One of the casualties was already unconscious when paramedics and hazard-area trained firefighters arrived at the scene.

A child died at the scene and three more died at hospital, while the other family members also received medical treatment.

Roughly 100 people have gathered across from the Balderas home to hold a candlelight vigil for the family,  News Channel 10 reported.

Nichole Wells, a teacher who taught three of the eight siblings at Travis Middle School, said: “There was a lot of love in that family and still is.

“They’ll wave, they’re polite, they’re respectful.

“They were just such a great family.”

Amarillo Fire Department captain Larry Davis said yesterday that the other injured people were “not out of the woods yet.”

Davis said fire crews discovered fumigate the house using a pesticide that contains Aluminium Phosphate.

This chemical creates phosphine gas when mixed with water which can cause respiratory failure.

Captain Davis told Amarillo.com: “It’s a very lethal chemical.

“It causes pulmonary edema, and basically the lungs fill up with fluid.

“We don’t know that that’s the cause of death so far, but that’s one of the more severe symptoms.”

It was reported some of the emergency services crew were taken to the hospital to get checked for exposure to the gas but none have shown any symptoms.

Amarillo Special Crimes told local media that “no criminal charges appear to apply at this time.”


Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2520844/four-children-die-after-family-poisoned-by-toxic-fumes-caused-by-chemical-used-to-kill-bugs-at-home/

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