A man is in a deep coma while his wife and child are dead from exhaust released by an electric generator at their home in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong.

The incident happened at the family’s residence, which doubles as a pawn shop, in the Tan Vinh Hiep neighborhood of Tan Uyen Town, the provincial Department of Police confirmed on Wednesday.

Cao Huu Ha, 27, owner of the shop, remains in a coma while his wife, 27-year-old Trinh Thi Bac, and their four-year-old daughter have passed away.

Neighbors discovered the situation on Tuesday evening and promptly reported it to competent authorities.

The three victims were then rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment but it was already too late for Bac and the little girl.

Ha was in critical condition by the time he reached the hospital and was transferred to the Binh Duong Province General Hospital for further treatment.

A police investigation showed that the victims suffocated from carbon monoxide (CO) released by an electric generator in their home.

The generator had been turned on during a blackout on Monday night.

According to officers, the married couple moved to Binh Duong from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa in 2005 and had been renting the house to live and run their business since 2005.

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