Survivor of Fumes That Killed 4 Still on Critical List

A Sepulveda man remained in critical condition late Sunday as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning that killed three other men and a pregnant woman in their apartment, authorities said.

Ma Pham, 46, was the only survivor of the deadly gas buildup caused by a plugged heater exhaust vent on the roof of the apartment building at 8751 Langdon Ave. He was taken to Panorama Community Hospital on Saturday after he and the others were discovered about noon by a neighbor.

The dead men were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office as Tien Trinh, 35, Nga Bui, 30, and Di V. Tran, 22. The woman was identified as Phuong Tran, 23. All were Vietnamese refugees, as is the survivor.

A Southern California Gas Co. official said the company’s investigation concluded that the gas buildup was caused after an exhaust vent was dislodged and moved so that a piece of wood used to support the vent pipe covered the opening.

“When that was moved over, instead of venting, it sealed the hole,” company spokesman Ralph Cohen said. “So, it’s like having a pot and putting a lid on it.”

Although the company investigation determined that the vent had been moved, Cohen said no determination was made as to who moved it or how it was moved. “It’s very unlikely that it moved by itself,” he said, adding that there had been no gas company service calls to the building recently.

The city Department of Building and Safety is also conducting an investigation, but officials could not be reached Sunday.

When asked whether there had been any repair work done on the roof recently, apartment manager Jay Kurtz refused to comment.

Police officials said there is currently no criminal investigation into the incident. A smoke alarm that would have been set off by soot that poured out of a wall vent as a result of the backup was disconnected, and all the windows in the apartment were shut, Cohen said.

Gas company service personnel checked 36 heaters in the apartment building and all were safely operating.