A barbecue in the apartment: twelve people poisoned by carbon monoxide in Jette and Laeken

The use of a barbecue inside the apartment was the cause of the carbon monoxide fumes. The house was also heated using portable stoves, without connection to a chimney.

A few hours later, around 2:10 a.m., firefighters had to go to Laeken to check the CO levels in a home in Laeken.

“The father explained that he had taken one of his children to the emergency room earlier in the night because of headaches, vomiting and general malaise, the classic symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning. CO,” said Mr. Derieuw. “Carbon monoxide was detected in the child’s blood and the father was advised to get his entire family out of the house and call the fire brigade via 112. CO readings taken on site were subsequently tested positive, the parents, a teenage son and an adult son were also evacuated to hospital. Fortunately, their life prognosis is not in jeopardy.

Two other family members, who had been there earlier in the day, were invited by telephone to go to the emergency department for follow-up examinations.

In this case, poor evacuation of combustion gases from the boiler was the cause of the poisoning.