Gay couple tragically die from carbon monoxide poisoning
A gay couple has tragically passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Italian couple Alex Ferrari and Luca Bortolaso, who were both 21, passed away earlier this week (January 2) after a defective wood burner poisoned them with carbon monoxide.
The gay students were away in a holiday home in Ca’di Sotto, Verona with two female friends when they inhaled dangerous levels of the poisonous gas.
Carbon monoxide is one of the most lethal gasses to die from as it is invisible and has no smell or taste.
The friends of the couple survived as they were sleeping in a separate room using an electric fire.
A joint funeral will be held for the couple, who were together for over a year and were engaged to be married according to Facebook.
The families specifically requested a joint service, which is being held today (January 5).
Don Alessio Graziani, a spokesperson of the bishop of Vicenza, said that the families of the deceased needed to be respected at this time and condemned any homophobic comments during their period of mourning.
Graziani said: “The choice of celebrating the funeral of Alex and Luke together is a specific request from their families.
“The families, at this moment of immense sorrow, wish to be close to the words of faith.
“Following the death of two young people, every other comment is inappropriate,” they added.
Don Roberto Castegnaro said that the Church did not consider the couple as “sinners” because they did not “exhibit” their sexuality.
“There is respect for what their relationship was: we certainly do not consider them as public sinners.
“The Church condemns the exhibited homosexuality. I did not know either of them directly, but I do not think this was the case,” he said.
Bortolaso’s mother snapped back at the comment online, writing that her son had never hidden his true self.
“My son has never hidden feelings, he has always shown them to high (God).”
Senator Monica Cirinnà offered her sympathies to the families of the boys on Facebook.
“These families are a virtuous example for everyone who loves and respects their children with dignity even in extreme pain,” she wrote.
A gay couple died in Glasgow in a fire just a week before Christmas day (2017).
It is thought that the fire in luxury hotel Cameron House may have been caused by Christmas decorations.
Simon Midgley and Richard Dyson, who are believed to be from London, had been staying at the hotel and were named as victims.
An unnamed source told Scotland’s Sunday Post that in a call to emergency services at 6.40am last Monday, staff said the Christmas tree in the main reception had caught fire.
“The first call to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service came from the hotel reception to report the tree was alight, at 6.40am on Monday morning,” they said.
200 people were evacuated from the hotel as the fire ripped through the building.