Carbon monoxide poisoning is most often mentioned among the causes that lead to serious accidents, especially in the cold season. Many other tragic cases, even fatal ones, originate from defective thermal power plants or the use of the stoves as a heating source.

Only in the area served by Delgaz Grid (which covers 20 counties in the northern half of the country) a number of 18 people fell victims of carbon monoxide poisoning, and 9 of them died asphyxiated during January / September 2019. Most victims are adults over 50 and come from urban areas.

In the counties of Alba, Maramureş, Vaslui, Hunedoara, Mureș, Sibiu and Cluj, in 7 of the 10 cases that occurred during this period, carbon monoxide poisoning was generated by the burnt gases (results from the heating means) that were not have been evacuated or have been insufficiently evacuated due to defects in the chimneys. Two other cases originated from the faulty thermal plants, and in another case, the use of the stove to heat the house.

At the national level, according to the data of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (I.G.S.U.), in the first 9 months of the year, 422 victims of the fires were registered in homes, out of which 137 people died. Most of the incidents were generated by faulty or unclean chimneys, faulty / improvised electrical installations and faulty heating means.

Although the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning registered in the Delgaz Grid activity area decreased by almost 38% in the first nine months of 2019, and the number of victims by 43%, there is a 28% increase in deaths compared to the similar period of time from last year.

At the national level, according to IGSU data, in the first nine months of the current year the fires in homes registered an increase of almost 18% compared to the same period of last year.