MIAMI.- A carbon monoxide leak caused the intervention of firefighters and the evacuation of more than 80 residents in a condominium southwest of Miami-Dade, 22 of whom were transferred with symptoms of poisoning in ambulances to nearby hospitals, without that deaths are reported.
Several Miami-Dade rescue, ambulance and paramedic units went in the morning hours of this Tuesday, June 4, to the Hemingway Villa Condominium building at 9375 SW 40th Ter, Miami, to assist residents suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to Erika Benítez, spokesperson for Miami-Dade firefighters, 22 people were taken to nearby hospitals with symptoms of poisoning and another 60 received treatment at the scene. “No one has died.”
The source of the carbon monoxide was located in a room adjacent to the apartments.
“Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas, it is odorless, tasteless and colorless. People who inhale it experience headache, vomiting, nausea and confusion, it can even cause death,” Benítez said at a press conference.
Units specialized in dangerous substances were deployed to the site to evaluate the situation and guarantee the safety of the people in the condominium, who are currently outside their homes, the spokesperson indicated.
An investigator is reviewing the complex’s 27 units and it is unknown when residents will be able to return to occupy them.
The fire department spokesperson took advantage of the conference to urge residents to purchase carbon monoxide alarms in their homes, which warn when there is a high concentration of this dangerous gas.
According to the CDC, “exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide can be fatal. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States.
Headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, chest pain, weakness, heart failure, difficulty breathing, seizures, and coma have been reported in people who have inhaled carbon monoxide. People who suffer from heart or lung diseases are more susceptible to the effects of carbon monoxide.”
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