Porcari – An entire family was struck down yesterday evening, Wednesday, February 4, 2026, by insidious carbon monoxide poisoning in their home on Via Galgani, in the hamlet of Rughi, in the municipality of Porcari, in the province of Lucca.
The victims – all belonging to the same family of Albanian origin – are the father, aged approximately 48, the mother, aged approximately 43, a son, aged approximately 22, and a daughter, aged 16 (or 15).
The four were found lifeless inside the house shortly before 22pm, when a Carabinieri patrol and the Fire Brigade, alerted by some neighbours who had noticed a strong smell of gas, broke into the house which was filled with the deadly odourless gas.
A fifth person, most likely another family member or a relative present in the home, was found alive, though in very serious condition. They were transported to Cisanello Hospital in Pisa with critical condition, where they are fighting for their lives.
During the frantic rescue operations, three Carabinieri officers who were the first to enter the building without adequate protective equipment suffered minor intoxication from the fumes still present.
The soldiers were immediately assisted on site and their conditions are not worrying. Numerous rescue teams intervened at the scene of the tragedy: ambulances from the Lucca Red Cross, the Porcari Green Cross, and the Misericordia di Santa Gemma Galgani, as well as the Fire Brigade.
The Pegaso air ambulance was initially dispatched to the scene, but was then withdrawn once the deaths of all four people were confirmed. Initial investigations and technical findings strongly point to a boiler malfunction as the cause of the carbon monoxide leak, the so-called "silent killer" that too often, especially in winter, proves fatal in private homes.
Investigators are investigating whether the system was properly inspected and maintained. The communities of Rughi and Porcari are in shock following a tragedy that shattered a family in a matter of minutes, leaving one survivor hanging between life and death.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
This is a true tragedy that has affected an entire family so dramatically. We hope there will be a thorough investigation to understand what happened and to prevent similar incidents in the future, even if it's already too late.