London - Four young children were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after their grandmother brought a braai indoors to dry her washing.
The woman, who has not been named, lit the device and set it up in the family kitchen before leaving the house.
Her three-year-old granddaughter collapsed when she was overcome by the deadly gas later that afternoon and was treated in hospital with five of her relatives. They included two boys aged two and 10 months; a four-year-old girl and the woman’s daughters-in-law, aged 26 and 29.
Firefighters were called to the home in East Ham, London, on Wednesday afternoon, soon after the grandmother set up her makeshift laundrette.
A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said the elderly woman carried the braai in from her garden at about 3pm and placed it near the back door to speed up the drying of clothes hanging in the kitchen.
She walked out, leaving her daughters-in-law in the house with her grandchildren.
One adult began to feel unwell before the little girl collapsed. All six have been discharged from hospital.
Fire chiefs branded the grandmother’s behaviour dangerous and campaigners warned of the hazards of bringing braais indoors.
Dave Brown of London Fire Brigade said: “In my 28-year career I have never heard of anybody using a barbecue to dry clothes, let alone using one indoors.” - Daily Mail