PALMER, Mass.—The state fire marshal says two people are dead in Palmer in what is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning caused by attempts to heat their home after losing power during the weekend snowstorm.
Massachusetts Fire Marshall Stephen Coan says the victims died Tuesday afternoon in Palmer's section of Bondsville.
That raises the number of deaths related to the storm to five. Others victims include a woman who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning after turning on a propane heater to warm her home in Hatfield and a Lunenburg resident whose home caught fire while either trying to light it using a candle or attempting to use a fireplace to generate heat. A Springfield resident was also electrocuted after stepping on a downed power line.
More than 299,500 Massachusetts homes and businesses remained without power Tuesday evening.
