Two parents and their son were poisoned by carbon monoxide in Schaerbeek on Monday evening before Brussels firefighters intervened. The cause of the poisoning on Rue Léopold Couroble was a faulty water heater in the bathroom.
The victims were admitted to hospital, but their lives are not in danger, spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade, Walter Derieuw, told La Capitale. The 8-year-old boy and his parents were rescued by paramedics, who came to the scene after an emergency call.
“The boy was unconscious for a few minutes and had experienced convulsions, which reveals that the intoxication was quite serious, but no vital prognosis was engaged for any of the victims,” Derieuw said.
Derieuw said that the bathroom water heater was sealed by Sibelga, Brussels' electricity and natural gas distribution network, along with the gas meter. After firefighters checked the installations of other apartments in the building, they found a gas leak from another water heater on the ground floor.
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The Brussels fire brigade urges people to ensure that heating devices are installed by an approved technician and are checked within the required timeframe.
It is also essential to have a good combustion gas evacuation system and ventilation system.
