38 people rushed to hospital after mass poisoning at ice rink
38 people were taken to hospital after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at an ice rink in Australia.
The people were taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning after visiting the Ice Arena in Thebarton.
A South Australia Health spokesperson said: “Most patients are being observed while some have required oxygen therapy.
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“They are all in a stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.”
South Australia Health's Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said: "There were a range of symptoms but mostly the level of carboxyhemoglobin in people's blood was fairly low.
"We know that giving people oxygen clears the toxin more quickly and so some people did receive oxygen."
Sharing the sort of symptoms those who had been exposed to the carbon monoxide might experience, she said: “Typically you get a headache, but you also might feel tired and dizzy, and sometimes a bit nauseous.
"When it gets into your blood system it attaches to your haemoglobin, it pushes off oxygen so it means it's not easy for the body to carry oxygen around."
She added: “Anyone still experiencing symptoms should seek a medical review today.
“People who are pregnant and very young infants are advised to seek a medical review today regardless of symptoms.”
Ice Arena manager Richard Laidlaw said a machine used to resurface and smooth the ice - known as a zamboni - was likely to blame for the incident and had since been taken out of service.
He told The Advertiser: “There was some carbon monoxide discovered and it seems to be coming from the zamboni.
“That machine is immediately out of service but we have a backup machine.”
He went on to say that the arena was closed by firefighters but that he planned to when the building was given the all-clear.
“The Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) have taken possession of the building and they will not have it back until it’s safe for the public to enter,” he told The Advertiser.
“They’re saying the levels are pretty low at the moment and they seem to think that within the next couple of hours they’ll hand it back.”
A MFS spokesperson said the team had been ventilating the scene, using high pressure fans and were monitoring the atmosphere.
The spokesperson said: "They're working to manage the situation until the venue is safe for re-entry, and following handing the site back to venue management will return to monitor the levels over the next 12 hours as a precautionary measure.”
Topics: Australia, World News
Claire Reid