Paloma Co. revealed Tuesday five more people died of carbon monoxide poisoning from its gas water heaters between 1985 and 2005, bringing the number of reported deaths to 20.
The Nagoya-based business group also announced another 10 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by products from its manufacturing arm, Paloma Industries Ltd., in addition to the 17 reported last week by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Paloma President Hiroaki Kobayashi on Tuesday apologized for the first time, after having argued that unauthorized alterations of the products' safety apparatus were to blame for the poisonings.