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Topics: News, Russia, Food and Drink
Callum Jones
Four members of the same family collapsed and tragically died after entering a basement with rotten potatoes.
The prospect of being poisoned by potatoes may come as a disbelief to many, but it was tragically a reality for one family from Laishevo, a town near Kazan in the Russian republic of Tatarstan.
In 2014, a then eight-year-old girl was orphaned after she lost her father, mother, brother and grandmother, who were killed by a deadly gas caused by old potatoes.
The girl's father, respected law professor Mikhail Chelyshev, was the first person to enter their cellar where they stored potatoes for the winter.
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However, the lawyer hadn't realized the potatoes had become seriously rotten, and was quickly in a lot of trouble.
Police said at the time, the 42-year-old had fainted from the noxious fumes and died soon afterwards.
After not re-appearing from a supposed quick visit to the cellar, Mikhail's family became concerned as to why he was still down there.
And you can see where this is going, as his worried wife Anastasia entered the cellar and was also overcome by the poisonous gas.
She tragically died at the age of 38.
The couple's 18-year-old son then went into the cellar in search for his parents, only to suffer the same tragic fate as his mom and dad after he inhaled the highly toxic fumes produced by the rotten potatoes.
Anastasia’s mother Iraida, who was 68 at the time, first called a neighbor as she suspected something was up.
However, before help could arrive, she also went into the cellar to see if she could find the rest of her family.
Police say she suffocated from the gas and collapsed and died like the others, before assistance arrived.
It's believed that the grandmother left the door open to the cellar, which allowed the fumes to disperse.
Then eight-year-old Maria was the only family member not to enter the cellar, ultimately surviving.
"They all died of gas poisoning which has accumulated in the basement as a result of badly rotting potatoes," a local investigator said at the time. "The poor girl found the bodies of the deceased."
While this type of poisoning is rare, Michigan State University stress how important it is to properly store potatoes at all times of the year, no matter how many you have.
"Keep them in a cool, dark place, and avoid exposure to light during transport," the university advises.
"If you find or buy green potatoes, throw them out. Also avoid eating potatoes that are past their prime, have eyes growing on them, or show any signs of decay."
Make sure to always check potatoes for signs of mold or decay before eating them, and if they have gone bad, ventilate and clean the area in which they were stored.