Carbon Monoxide Leak Hospitalizes Eight in Brooklyn Home
Reported by Redthread Newsdesk
Eight people were hospitalized and a dozen residents were rescued late Sunday night after a carbon monoxide leak at a home in Gravesend, Brooklyn triggered a dangerous emergency response.
Authorities say the incident began around 11 p.m. Sunday when residents inside a house on West 6th Street began feeling ill. The Fire Department received a report of an unconscious person at the location and dispatched emergency responders.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered twelve individuals showing symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. The gas, described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the "odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning," had accumulated to highly dangerous levels inside the building.
Initial readings recorded carbon monoxide concentrations of 300 parts per million. Carbon monoxide concentrations above 50 percent are considered lethal, according to officials.
Firefighters quickly moved to ventilate the building, allowing the gas to dissipate and reduce the carbon monoxide levels inside the home. Eight of the affected individuals were transported to a hospital for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber, a medical facility used to treat carbon monoxide poisoning. The remaining four people were treated at the scene.
Carbon monoxide is produced by many common household sources, including furnaces, gas stoves, engines, and charcoal grills. Officials noted that carbon monoxide detectors can play a crucial role in preventing such incidents by alerting residents to the presence of the deadly gas.
The cause of the leak has not yet been determined. Authorities confirmed that the investigation into its source remains ongoing.