Four children have died following a reported chemical poisoning Monday morning in Northeast Amarillo.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 1300 block of Carolyn Street just after 5:00 a.m. on a possible carbon monoxide poisoning call.
Fire crews arrived on the scene to find ten people inside the home but no signs of carbon monoxide.
Captain Larry Davis of Amarillo Fire Department confirmed the chemical, used in the house to get rid of pests, was the source of the poisoning.
Davis says the family was using a pesticide that included aluminum phosphate under their home. A family member tried to wash the chemical out from under the home with water, creating the toxic phosphine gas.
Emergency crews attempted to revive an unconscious victim at the scene. Their efforts failed and the victim was pronounced dead at the accident scene.
The remaining nine victims inside the home were taken to the hospital. Three of these victims later died at the hospital, Davis said.
The Amarillo Fire Department confirmed the four deaths were children.
The six surviving victims remain hospitalized Monday afternoon.
Davis says these deaths appear to be accidental with no criminal intent.
(Information from MyHighPlains.com)