Two children suffered from carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication on Monday evening in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, the Brussels fire department reported.
Emergency services were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. to the residential building concerned, located on Josse Impensstraat in Schaerbeek. They managed to treat the children and take them to hospital.
“The incident occurred in a two-storey house divided into three apartments,” said Fire Department Spokesperson Walter Derieuw. “The ground-floor residents called the emergency services when their CO detector went off, and their two children complained of nausea and headaches. They immediately left the premises and opened the windows.”
“Despite ventilation efforts, high CO levels were still detected,” the spokesperson added. “The two children received on-site medical attention and were taken to hospital for further examination, along with their parents, who were not poisoned. Fortunately, their condition is stable.”
Investigations revealed that a non-compliant water heater was the source of the odourless, colourless, and tasteless gas, which can be deadly. The installation was sealed by Sibelga. Inspections also showed that water-heating installations in the two other residential units were also not compliant, so they were sealed as well.
