Carbon monoxide (CO) escaped from a furnace in an apartment building in Schwaz (Tyrol) on Friday morning. Several people suffered poisoning. Two people over 80 had to be taken to hospital.
It was actually supposed to be a normal patient transport, but the ambulance driver felt something strange in the apartment in an apartment building on Paracelsusstrasse.
As the 89-year-old resident, who complained of feeling unwell, was taken away shortly before 6.30am, the driver noticed an unusual odor or stench. He raised the alarm and the Schwaz city fire brigade was immediately informed.
Beaten by a mile
“We entered the apartment and immediately took a carbon monoxide measurement,” says fire chief Lukas Baumann. And indeed: the measuring device went off and the level of the potentially deadly gas in the apartment had noticeably increased.
Firefighters discovered the toxic gases were coming from a smoky auxiliary furnace that runs on oil. Fortunately, the 89-year-old and his wife (85), who had called the rescue team, had already been taken out of the smoke-filled apartment and to Schwaz hospital.
Eight apartments evacuated
At the same time, the emergency services were concerned about the other eleven residents of the Schwaz apartment complex. The entire building with eight apartments had to be evacuated.
Carbon monoxide penetrates walls
“Carbon monoxide penetrates walls,” says operations manager Lukas Baumann, explaining the absolute necessity of the measure. Two people in the apartment building had to be treated on site by the emergency doctor. “The incident could have ended badly,” he summarizes.
After the entire building had been ventilated, the Florianis handed over the senior apartment to the police and the other residents were able to return to the home. The Schwaz city fire brigade employed a total of twelve men and one vehicle.
Source: Krone
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