Gas leaks can be incredibly dangerous, often called the silent killer. In a recent carbon monoxide leak in Atlanta, five have been hospitalized.
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On Friday, Jan. 3, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department was called out to a carbon monoxide leak at the Residence Inn Atlanta Downtown. High levels of the gas had been detected in the building, and over 100 people had to be evacuated.
Of the 100 or so guests, five were taken to hospital, with two of them being children. According to the report, one of the victims was unconscious. The leak was caught early enough for it not to be fatal.
The emergency services were called after parents found that their children were unable to be woken up. This is a common occurrence with a carbon monoxide leak. First, it renders people unconscious, then poisons them to death in their sleep. It is an incredibly dangerous gas. It's imperative to check your alarms regularly.
Hotel Is Being Thoroughly Checked After Carbon Monoxide Leak
Besides being fatal if inhaled, carbon monoxide also poses a huge explosion risk during a leak. So, now, the emergency services are checking the Atlanta hotel for possible danger. They have cleared it out, and checks are being made to ensure safety.
The AFRD says "Our hazmat team is assisting residents experiencing side effects and working with hotel maintenance to locate the source." Since then, they have released a statement on Instagram. "All carbon monoxide readings at 134 Peachtree Street NW, Residence Inn Atlanta, are now at acceptable levels. AFRD has turned the building over to Atlanta Gas."
The evacuation had to be quick. Consequently, guests were left without their belongings as they were transported to safety. "[I wanted to] go get my stuff and they wouldn't let me, so we had to come outside. And then everything went [into] chaos, it was haywire for a little bit and we just kind of waited," one guest of the hotel said. The carbon monoxide leak was serious enough to drop everything and go.
It is imperative to find the source of the leak and get it repaired. If it hadn't been found in time, the situation could have been a lot worse. There were 100 rooms occupied in the Atlanta hotel. Why the carbon monoxide alarms didn't go off will also be under investigation.
