Girl Orphaned After Family Killed By Poisonous Fumes

An 8-year-old girl was orphaned when her entire family was killed by a deadly gas caused by rotten potatoes in their home. According to the Daily Mail, Maria Chelysheva lost her mother, father, brother, and grandmother after they each entered a cellar in their home where they stored potatoes.

The potatoes had rotted in the cellar, where the family were storing them for the winter. People were so furious about this Pepsi ad that Pepsi pulled it after just one day. Watch it here and decide if it’s offensive: Maria is now being cared for by other relatives as she mourns the tragic loss of her family members. Police say that Maria’s father, 42-year-old Mikhail Chelyshev, was the first member of the family to enter the cellar. He was unaware that the potatoes had become rotten.

He fainted and died shortly after ingesting the noxious fumes. People were so furious about this Pepsi ad that Pepsi pulled it after just one day. Watch it here and decide if it’s offensive: When Mikhail failed to return from the cellar, his wife Anastasia, 38, went down to look for him, but when she got into the cellar, she inhaled the poisonous fumes and died as well. Maria’s older brother, 18-year-old Gregory, was the next to head into the cellar.

He went searching for his parents, but soon succumbed to the fumes himself. Gregory and Maria’s grandmother, Iraida, 68, then called a neighbor to ask for help. However, before somebody came to the house to help, she went into the cellar herself and inhaled the toxic gas. Police say she fainted and died just like her other family members. When Iraida went into the cellar, however, she left the door open and the fumes dispersed. Maria went into the cellar last and was horrified to find the bodies of her mother, father, and grandmother.

An investigator in the town of Laishevo, Russia, said about the incident, “They all died of gas poisoning which has accumulated in the basement as a result of badly rotting potatoes.” He continued, “The poor girl found the bodies of the deceased.”

According to the Daily Mail, potatoes contain toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids. If ingested, the compounds can affect the nervous system, causing weakness and confusion. Glycoalkaloid content can be increased when exposed to light, physical damage, and age. Poisoning from potatoes is extremely rare, but in extreme cases, they can release fumes that may cause death. Readers commented on the tragic story on Shared’s Facebook page. “Keep your potatoes in the fridge in the bottom draw!” One user commented. “My grandmother and mom always told me this. I have Never had a problem!”

“I’m pretty sure the four potatoes we have in your pantry aren’t going to put out enough gas to kill you,” another reader commented. “That story is about a peasant family in Russia that probably had hundreds of potatoes to last the winter in a cellar.” Sources: Daily Mail, Shared/Facebook / Photo Credit: east2west news via Daily Mail