A one-year-old girl has died while her mother remains hospitalised after the two were overcome by smoke and carbon monoxide fumes from a charcoal stove inside their rented house in Nakuru County.

The incident occurred on Friday, July 24, in the Nyonjoro area under Lanet Police Station in Nakuru North Sub-county.

According to police, the child’s father returned home at about 3:20 p.m. and found the house tightly shut, with all doors and windows closed.

After opening a window, he discovered his 23-year-old wife lying in the sitting room and struggling to breathe.

Their one-year-and-one-month-old daughter was beside her but was unresponsive.

The father raised the alarm, prompting neighbours to rush to the scene and assist.

The child was taken to Nyonjoro Health Centre, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police officers who visited the house established that the woman had been cooking beans using a charcoal jiko inside the house while all doors and windows remained closed.

Investigators believe the woman developed severe headaches and weakness after inhaling carbon monoxide fumes before falling asleep together with her daughter in the sitting room.

The mother was also rushed to Nyonjoro Health Centre, where she is currently receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.

The child’s body was moved to the Annex Nakuru Farewell Home mortuary pending a post-mortem examination.

Authorities have urged members of the public to exercise caution when using charcoal stoves indoors, warning that poor ventilation can lead to the build-up of carbon monoxide, a colourless and odourless gas that can be fatal.