Four people taken to hospital in Narva on suspicion of carbon monoxide poisoning
In the Estonian city of Narva, a mother and her three children were hospitalised from an apartment building on suspicion of carbon monoxide poisoning. Rescuers believe the gas leaked from a gas boiler in the kitchen.
Four people, a mother and her three children, were taken to hospital on Sunday evening from an apartment building on Paul Keres Street in Narva, Estonia, on suspicion of carbon monoxide poisoning. The incident was reported by the Estonian Rescue Board, the country's state rescue service.
According to the board, at 19:57 the Emergency Response Centre received a report that a child had felt unwell after a bath. The mother called an ambulance to check on the child. When the medics entered the flat, their portable carbon monoxide detector went off, showing a CO concentration of 100 ppm (parts per million) in the air. The family displayed symptoms consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Rescuers from Narva were then called to the scene. The mother and the three children were taken to hospital for a medical examination.
Checks of the apartments
Rescuers inspected the entire flat as well as neighbouring flats to rule out a wider spread of gas or a more serious fault. Carbon monoxide was found only in the original flat. Most likely, the gas entered the apartment from a gas boiler in the kitchen.
Reminder to residents
The Rescue Board reminds residents that buildings with gas or solid-fuel heating appliances must have a carbon monoxide detector. The gas has no smell or colour and can cause severe poisoning or be life-threatening. A detector helps to spot the danger in time.
