A serious incident shook the municipality of Porcari, in the Lucca area, Italy, on Wednesday evening, where four members of the same family lost their lives as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The victims are the 48-year-old father, his 43-year-old wife and their two children, 22 and 15 years old, of Albanian origin. A fifth person, the brother of the head of the family, was rescued but is in critical condition at Cisanello Hospital, after losing consciousness due to poisoning as soon as he arrived at the apartment.

Corriere reports that according to authorities, it was the brother of the head of the family who raised the alarm, as the family was not answering their phone calls. After arriving at the three-story house and receiving no response, he and two Carabinieri officers forced their way inside, where they were confronted with a gruesome scene: four lifeless bodies lying on the floor.

The incident is believed to have occurred around dinner time. When rescue teams entered the apartment, they found the table set, indicating that the family was preparing to eat. The two carabinieri who intervened to provide first aid also suffered minor signs of poisoning, but fortunately are out of danger.

Italian authorities have launched investigations to determine the exact causes of the carbon monoxide leak and to verify the condition of the heating system in the apartment.