A mother who inadvertently poisoned her five children after scattering a deadly fumigant in their Fort McMurray, Alta., apartment is asking for help getting to Edmonton to see her critically ill sons.
In an interview with CTV Edmonton Tuesday, Nida Habeeb said her family is seeking aid from the public.
“I want to go to Edmonton with my kids … and join my family,” Habeeb said.
Two of Habeeb’s sons remain in critical condition in an Edmonton children’s hospital in what authorities are calling a tragic accident.
Shazia Yarkhan told CTV Edmonton that her sister was trying to kill bed bugs with a chemical brought from Pakistan, where the family had recently vacationed. Yarkhan said her sister used the fumigant last Tuesday. On Saturday, all five of her children started to get sick.
Habeeb’s eight-month-old daughter died Sunday, and two other children remain in hospital in Fort McMurray. Their condition is improving, and the pair is being kept under observation.
The chemical is believed to be phosphine, a highly toxic pesticide used in strictly controlled situations in Canada, often to get rid of rodents or insects in grain silos.
Deputy Fire chief Brad Grainger said the insecticide pellets became deadly when the mother vacuumed the floor, causing the toxic material to break down and become airborne.
In Alberta, only pesticide companies and licenced farmers are allowed to use the insecticide.
Jim Keher, a toxicologist and dean of pharmacy at the University of Alberta said there is no antidote for the poison, which can cause long-term damage to the liver, heart and kidneys.
“Clearly it’s going to be effective in terms of the insects but the danger to human and animals, pets and so forth, cannot be overstated,” Keher told The Canadian Press.
All the children were initially brought to the hospital in Fort McMurray, but two of the boys were later airlifted to a children’s hospital in Edmonton. Their condition has deteriorated to the point where they’ve now been put on ventilators.
It appears some are responding to Habeeb’s plea for help to see her sons, as an online crowdfunding campaign has been set up on the family’s behalf.
Her husband, who did not fall ill, is currently in Edmonton with the critically ill brothers.
Pesticides brought in to Canada must be regulated under the Pest Control Products Act and feature a Canadian label.
The Canada Border Services Agency said it is working with RCMP on the case. There is no word on whether charges could be laid.
Hazmat crews on Tuesday said air quality levels were back to normal in the apartment complex and it is safe for all tenants in the block to be in their units.
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Dan Grummett and The Canadian Press
