Dubai Police have issued a warning over the deadly dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning to motorists who soup up their cars in a bid to boost speed and performance.
Maj Gen Ahmed Bin Gulitha, director of the force's forensic science and criminology department, said six people have died this year as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning while in cars.
He said such potentially lethal incidents often occur when cars have been modified by their owners in an effort to increase speed.
“In a recent study by Dubai Police, we found the deaths and injuries usually happened in modified cars after changing the engine or oil filters to boost the speed,” said Maj Gen Bin Gulitha.
What is so tragic about it is that it has no smell or colour for us to detect. It is completely invisible
Dr Sreehari Pillai
“The gas poses a significant threat to people who spend a long time in cars running in open or enclosed spaces, if inhaled in high concentrations.”
Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil and coal do not burn up completely.
The risk it poses is accentuated by the fact it is odourless, colourless and tasteless. For these reasons it is often referred to as a "silent killer".
Common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning in vehicles include defective exhaust and emission systems, poorly tuned engines, and cars running in enclosed spaces such as garages.
Car maintenance is key
Maj Dr Mohammed Al Qasim, director of the force's forensic engineering section, urged motorists to keep cars well maintained.
“Some incidents happened inside old cars that did not go through regular maintenance," he said.
"Other incidents happened in modified cars that reduce the quality of air inside the vehicles."
Police cautioned drivers against sleeping in parked cars within enclosed areas, such as mall car parks, with the air conditioning on.
Maj Dr Al Qasim recounted an incident in which a driver died of carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting in a car at a shopping centre.
The man worked as a driver and fell asleep while waiting for his employer to return.
“He locked the windows and slept while the AC was on. The woman returned after shopping and found him dead. He died after inhaling the carbon monoxide gas,” said Maj Dr Al Qasim.
The officer advised motorists not to fall asleep inside their vehicles, adding that people should not stay inside stationary vehicles with the engine running for more than 20 minutes, particularly during the summer months.
Dr Sreehari Pillai, a specialist in internal medicine at NMC Speciality Hospital in Abu Dhabi, previously told The National that when carbon monoxide is breathed in, it starves the body of oxygen.
“What is so tragic about it is that it has no smell or colour for us to detect. It is completely invisible,” he said.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and nausea.
In some cases, however, people may present with no symptoms, offering no warning signs against the health threat.
“People gently fall asleep, go into a coma and then they pass away from inhaling the gas,” said Dr Pillai.
Dr Pillai called on people to be vigilant and, if they notice someone sleeping inside a vehicle, “open the windows quickly, before the low oxygen level in the blood damages the brain”.
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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