Staff Reporter
A BELGIAN beer heiress has been killed in a tragic poisoning accident while on holiday in Mallorca.
Mother-of-three Philippine de Mevius, 52, whose family own the world’s biggest brewing firm Ab Inbev, died alongside her partner Andre Emsens, at the weekend, due to faulty log-burning stove.
An investigation has been launched after the super-rich couple – whose families are worth more than €10 billion combined – were found in the bedroom of the stunning rural estate of Finca Muntanya, near Escorca.
The pair had been spending a half term holiday on the island.
The couple, who own property in Malaga, as well as a 600-hectare estate, Château d’Emptinne, in Belgium, had recently finished renovating the beautiful farmhouse, which sits in the heart of the Serra Tramuntana, near Lluc.
The family of Philippine – a professional osteopath and generous benefactor – are the third largest shareholders of multinational Ab Inbev, based in Belgium.
It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and brews Budweiser, Beck’s and Stella Artois among other beers. They are believed to be worth just under €7 billion.
Her businessman partner Andre, who was found dead in bed alongside her, is also an heir to a massive fortune.
His family, worth €3.3 billion, own Sibelco, a Belgian mineral giant with more than 228 mines around the world.
Workers on the finca, which has chickens, donkeys and goats, sounded the alarm after noticing the much-loved couple, who had bought the property two years ago, had not come out of their locked bedroom.
‘Such terrible luck’
The owner of nearby restaurant Sa Font Cuberta, in Lluc, Ernesto Couto, 49, told the Olive Press the couple had just finished an expensive renovation on the €8m home.
“It was a big house and they had perhaps done it up too well, closing off all the gaps so there were no draughts,’’ he said.
Couto added all the locals use wood-burning stoves to heat their homes – but they keep at least a window slightly open.
“They probably closed all their new windows without realising, such terrible luck.’’
The owner of a neighbouring bed & breakfast told the Olive Press last night how sad the local community was on hearing the news.
“I only saw them on Wednesday morning, last week, when we had a meeting about their new property,” she said.
“It had only just been refurbished and was in perfect condition. It all seems so strange.”
“They came to the island quite often and were really good people. Really well. It is really very sad.”
Police confirmed last night that there were no signs of a break-in or criminal activity.
The couple were found dead in bed by police.
Detectives from Inca are now probing the deaths, in an attempt to understand how the gas leak had occurred.
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when the toxic gas builds up in your bloodstream.
