Wine fumes kill three people

Three people between the ages of 64 and 74 have died while making wine in central Portugal from the noxious fumes released from fermenting grapes, emergency officials said.

The three victims inhaled gas from the fermentation of wine and were found dead inside a wine tank in the cellar of a house near the central city of Coimbra, firefighter Antonio Carvalho said yesterday.

"One of them probably died trying to help get the other two out of the tank because he was found leaning on the wall of the tank," he said.

The wine tank was about a metre-and-a-half deep.

The three victims, a married couple who lived at the house and a male friend who was helping them, were not wearing masks to protect themselves from the alcohol vapours released in the winemaking process as recommended.

"We are faced every year with accidents of this kind because people do not know that these gases are dangerous, especially in a poorly ventilated small space like that cellar," said Mr Carvalho.