Jerry can kills two Flemings in Germany
Two young Flemings sleeping in their car in Stuttgart, Germany, died as a result of inhaling petrol vapours that escaped from a jerry can in their boot.
A passer-by saw the two Flemings sleeping in their car on a carpark and cottoned onto the fact that everything wasn’t as it should be. The woman alerted German emergency services, but all help came too late.
Toxicologist Jan Tytgat says that many people underestimate the danger of petrol vapours: “If you inhale a little petrol vapour at a filling station, no harm will come of it. In a closed environment, it’s a different story. If you are exposed to petrol vapours for a length of time, you become unconscious and die. If you have a jerry can in the car in such heat, it’s best to let in some fresh air. Open the jerry can in the open air for a while so that vapour can escape.”