A FAMILY of four died in their Torrox home from a suspected gas leak.
The bodies of a married couple and their two teenage children were discovered on Tuesday at around 3.20pm.
It’s believed they passed away overnight after leaving on a butano heater which expelled deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
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Said Rabah, 53, and his wife, Saadia, 38, have moved to Spain from Morocco over two decades ago.
Their two sons were Mohammed, 19, and Mustafa, 17.
They had lived in the Old Town area of Torrox on Calle Pontil for 18 months after moving there from El Morche.
On Tuesday, Said did not show up for work, while Saadia missed an appointment with the local Assalam association and Mustafa did not go to school.
A family friend, Saifi el Hassan, went to their apartment along with others but got no answer after ring the doorbell.
They dialled Saadia’s mobile phone and heard it ring- without reply.
Fearing something had happened, a neighbour that had a spare set of keys let them inside.
They discovered the father laid as he was asleep in the living room, and the others their bedrooms.
Emergency services were called concerning a possible gas leak and paramedics could do nothing to save the life of the family.
Speaking to the El Mundo newspaper, Saifi el Hassan, said: “They were an example of integration-” says Saifi el Hassan, with tears in his eyes.
“The boys had been born in Sain and were closely involved with the El Faro de Torrox sports club, where they played football.”
Mustafa in fact played as a defender for the CD Torox youth team.
Around a hundred people gathered outside the family’s home- mainly from local Moroccan community.
Family friend and president of the Almansur Muslim association, Ahmed El Gharbaoui Lahlal, told El Mundo: “We are shocked. I have seen those children grow up. My children have grown up with them.”
Torrox City Council has declared three days of official mourning with mayor, Oscar Medina, expressing his ‘deepest condolences’ on behalf of the council and residents for ‘this terrible event’
A minute’s silence took place on Wednesday morning outside City Hall in the Plaza de la Constitucion.
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