Woman on Oxygen Tank Dies After Electric Company Shuts off Power

NEWARK, N.J. (CBS/AP) — A New Jersey woman who used an electric-powered oxygen tank has died after the electricity company cut power to her house, despite her paying $500 to her account only days before.

Desiree Washington says her 68-year-old mother Linda Daniels relied on the oxygen tank to breathe, and she died of heart failure Thursday hours after Public Service Enterprise Group turned off the electricity at her Newark home.

RELATED: 11 New Conditions Now Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Michigan

Washington says $500 was paid to the company two days before, and her family had notified the company of her mother's medical issues.

PSE&G says they cut off power because of a lack of payments over several months.

The company says they were unaware of Daniels' medical needs, and they are reviewing their records.

Linda's death, according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was a human rights violation.

In a report last year, the association called for "the establishment of a universal right to uninterrupted energy service" and reported a number of stories similar to Daniels'.

Newark Police are investigating.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)