A young girl has died after inhaling shower steam while washing at her home.
Shaza Al-Azayzeh was rushed to a hospital in Deir al-Balah, in the Gaza strip, Palestine after showering in her family bathroom on Monday last.
The 12-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital with the confirmed cause of death reported as "steam inhalation."
The tragic death was triggered by an extremely rare allergic reaction which is known to have occurred just a handful of times.
In a paper published by the Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine researchers BL Bhootra and J Kitinya detail two cases of "superheated steam" deaths in children.
Both deaths occurred when an individual was subjected to superheated steam in a closed, relatively airtight space.
The study details the death of one child whose autopsy showed signs of petechial haemorrhages in the brain, lungs and heart, congestion of the epiglottis, oedema of the lungs, along with swelling of the trachea.
It is understood that the inhalation of superheated steam can reduce oxygen levels in the body, causing hypoxia, and ultimately, death. A fatal reaction to superheated steam is believed to occur within just a few minutes.
