A tragedy has struck Italy, with an Albanian family of four losing their lives after being poisoned by carbon monoxide gas.

BalkanWeb has provided a photo of the victims Arti Kola, 48 years old, Jonida Kola, 43 years old, their son, Hajdar, 22 years old, and daughter, Xhesika, the youngest of the family, 15 years old, who are originally from the Elbasan region.

Italian media 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 dinnertime. 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.