Officials of Paloma Industries Ltd. were aware of all 18 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning between 1985 and 2005 involving its water heaters shortly after each case occurred, company sources said Monday.
Of the 18 cases -- 17 announced last week by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and another revealed by the sources -- Paloma initially claimed it was aware of only six.
In the newly revealed case, two people died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 1990 in Obihiro, Hokkaido, the sources said, bringing total deaths in the 18 carbon monoxide poisoning cases to 17.
Paloma had earlier claimed it first knew of a carbon monoxide death involving its heater in 1991, and then revised the year to 1987. Now it says it was aware from the very beginning.