Ice storm: Carbon monoxide poisoning spikes as officials urge caution | 24CA News
Montreal public well being is urging warning Friday after receiving practically 60 reviews of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents within the aftermath of a significant ice storm.
The division mentioned “many families” have been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, which is placing further stress on already overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms.
“The situation is particularly concerning in the neighbourhoods of LaSalle, Montreal North, Saint-Laurent, Ahuntsic and Pierrefonds,” public well being mentioned in an announcement.
The metropolis was laborious hit by Wednesday’s bouts of freezing rain, which led to ice-coated bushes crashing onto energy strains. At the height of the ability outages, greater than 450,000 Montreal households had been left in the dead of night. Thousands had been nonetheless with out energy Friday.
Montreal public well being is asking residents affected by the outages to not use barbecues, tenting tools and propane-fuelled cooking gadgets indoors. They should solely be used outdoors because of the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, odourless, colourless and tasteless gas that is generated by combustion,” public well being mentioned.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning embody headache, dizziness, fatigue, visible anomalies, nausea and vomiting. In extreme instances, it might probably result in lack of consciousness and convulsions — and even demise.
Anyone who doesn’t have energy can go to one in all Montreal’s emergency centres to heat up and cost their digital gadgets. Public well being additionally says libraries, cultural centres and purchasing malls are good choices to get out of the chilly and darkish.
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