Police investigate second death in relation to Quebec ice storm

Man dies of carbon monoxide during storm: police Quebec police say a man died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in an area affected by power outages following the ice storm.

A second person has died in relation to the ice storm that has swept across Quebec and Ontario this week and left hundreds of thousands without electricity.

According to police, a 75-year-old man was found unconscious Thursday evening in his garage, where he had been using a diesel-powered generator at his home in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, a small city northwest of Montreal.

Insp. Jean-Philippe Labbé said firefighters detected carbon monoxide levels in the garage were 20 times the norm.

The man's wife found him and called 911. He was sent to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Emergency services officials said Friday they have had to assess at least 82 people in Montreal and Laval for carbon monoxide poisoning since Wednesday as people become desperate to find ways to stay warm and fed in their homes during the outage.

Urgences-santé advised people on Twitter not to use fuel-burning appliances indoors, even if a power outage is prolonged.

Quebec Premier François Legault spoke about the man's death Friday during a visit to Les Coteaux, Que., a town west of Montreal where a man in his 60s also died Thursday morning.

According to police, the man was trying to clear branches off his property on Rue Principale around 10:30 a.m. when one of them fell on him. First responders tried to revive the man, who was unconscious, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are investigating but say it appears to be an accident.

There have been three reported deaths in relation to the storm. Police in Ontario said a man died Wednesday in South Stormont Township after he was out on his property checking fallen power lines when he was struck by a falling branch.

The 59-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

HOW TO PREVENT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING

The City of Montreal shared carbon monoxide prevention tips in the context of the power outages.

If you believe you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, the city recommends people:

Other tips