An 18-year-old young woman was the victim of CO poisoning on Saturday afternoon in Ganshoren (Brussels-Capital). Resuscitated, she was hospitalized in critical condition, according to the Brussels firefighters. The victim’s mother, as well as her younger brother, also had to be hospitalized, but their condition is less of a concern.
“Around 4:30 p.m., the emergency services received a call reporting an unconscious young girl in a bathroom of an apartment located on Avenue des Gloires Nationales, in Ganshoren.“, says Wlater Derieuw, spokesperson for the fire department.From the questions he asked, operator 112 was able to deduce that it was CO poisoning. Firefighters and emergency services were then immediately sent to the scene.“.
The occupants of the apartment on the 1st floor of the building, just above that where the intoxication occurred, were also directed to the hospital for examination. The other residents of the building were examined on the spot.
Sibelga cut off the gas supply to the building, which was suspected of being the cause of the accident. An investigation should determine what exactly happened.
Four tips
On the occasion of this new CO poisoning, the firefighters give four tips to the population to avoid any problem:
- have a compliant device installed by a recognized technician;
- carry out the annual maintenance and mandatory inspections of the installations;
- check that the combustion gases are properly evacuated,
- and finally ensure natural ventilation.
In addition, it is also recommended to have a CO detector.
The warning signs of CO poisoning are multiple: nausea, vomiting, headache, sudden fatigue. In this case, it is recommended to open the windows immediately, to evacuate the people present and to contact 112.