Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Kills 2 Men In Brooklyn Apartment

KEY POINTS

The men, aged 49 and 50, were found in their basement apartment in Brooklyn
Four other people were also treated at the scene by the paramedics
Authorities are trying to determine the source of the poisonous gas leak

Two men were killed in a carbon monoxide incident inside an apartment building in Brooklyn on Monday, fire officials said.

The men, aged 49 and 50, were found in their basement apartment in Bensonhurst at around 7.40 p.m. EST, New York Daily News reported, citing fire officials. The men were sick after coming into contact with the gas and were declared dead at the scene.

Paramedics treated four other people at the scene but they refused to be hospitalized, the publication reported. Responding authorities reportedly found elevated levels of carbon monoxide inside the apartment.

Authorities were working to determine the source of the poisonous gas. A police source told the New York Post they weren’t suspecting foul play and that the case was being investigated.

A tenant, who lives on the second floor of the building, told the New York Post he was feeling dizzy and had a headache this weekend, possibly because of the gas leak.

“We were getting headaches from Saturday night to overnight to Sunday,” Carlos Hernandez, 27, told the outlet. “From the morning when we woke up there was just dizziness and headaches.”

Hernandez said after he started feeling unwell he visited a hospital to get a COVID-19 test done, which came back negative. “Thankfully we had the window open at that point,” Hernandez said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed carbon monoxide as "an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you." A person who comes into contact with the gas is likely to experience symptoms like headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Breathing the gas in excessive amounts can lead to loss of consciousness and death, according to the CDC.

In August, at least 25 attendees of a rave party in Norway’s capital of Oslo were taken to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

The individuals reportedly came into contact with the gas while attending the party inside an underground bunker. The victims appeared dizzy and incoherent when they flagged down a police car asking for medical help. The gas was suspected to have leaked from portable generators used in the party.