(Bloomberg) — Three U.S. citizens staying in an Airbnb Inc. rental in Mexico City were found dead in their apartment from what appeared to be carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said Tuesday.
Security officers at the apartment complex reported a strong smell of gas to police, who found the bodies of a woman and two men inside, the city attorney’s office said in a statement. . They were discovered on October 30 in La Rosita, a neighborhood near Santa Fe, a wealthy neighborhood lined with corporate skyscrapers.
Their deaths come amid a surge in the number of Americans visiting and settling in Mexico, with the capital being their primary destination. Although an unusual occurrence, accidents and explosions have been reported in Mexico when the use of LPG and other gas sources to heat homes and water have led to leaks.
Read more: Americans moving to Mexico at record pace, up 85% from pre-pandemic
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones who mourn such an unimaginable loss,” an Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement. “Our priority at this time is to support those affected as the authorities investigate what happened, and we stand ready to assist them with their investigations however we can.”
According to industry data provider AirDNA, there are more than 19,000 short-term rentals in Mexico City, just over 90% of which are listed on Airbnb. The listing has been suspended and future reservations have been cancelled.
Wavy.com first reported the deaths, saying one of the victims told her boyfriend on the phone that she was getting sick before being disconnected. The boyfriend called the Airbnb host to do a wellness check and authorities found the bodies, Wavy.com reported. Two of the victims were from Virginia Beach and one from New Orleans, all three in their twenties.
The boyfriend told Spanish newspaper El Pais that the victim told him she felt sick before returning to the Airbnb and that she may have been drugged in a bar and not poisoned by a gas leak .
The city attorney’s office said its investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
(Updates with statement from Airbnb in fourth paragraph and more details on the case in seventh and eighth paragraphs.)
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