Mexico-A vacation to watch the Mexican Grand Prix ended in tragedy for one tourist poisoned by carbon monoxide, fueling calls for regulation of popular accommodation rental websites like Airbnb and Booking.com.
Angelica Arce, 29, traveled to Mexico City with her two younger siblings in October from the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana to watch the Formula One motor racing. They rented a short-stay apartment through the online platform Booking.com.
Inside, a poorly installed water heater was leaking carbon monoxide -- a colorless, odorless gas that can pose a lethal threat to human health. All three began to feel unwell and were hospitalized. Arce died at dawn on October 30.
“May her death not be in vain,” said her mother, Gloria Ojeda. Arce is just one of several people killed recently by suspected carbon monoxide leaks in Mexico City -- prompting increased pressure for authorities to urgently regulate online vacation rentals.
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In total, four young people died in late October in private accommodation rented through Airbnb and Booking.com in Mexico City, according to officials. Prosecutors said three tourists from the United States lost their lives in an apartment due to gas poisoning, though the boyfriend of one of the victims was unconvinced. He said his girlfriend had told him she felt like she had been drugged before returning to the accommodation.