160 rescue workers of the fire brigade were in action, the criminal police sighted the rooms: At a party in a swinger club in North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday evening two people collapsed. A person was not approachable, said the fire department. In addition, the carbon monoxide alarm device of the emergency services had sounded the alarm. Around 300 guests of the establishment were then taken to safety.
Many of the party guests arrived in public buses, where they were examined by paramedics and paramedics. Eight other guests and one of the ambulance staff complained of being unwell and had to be treated medically.
"There were several signs that pointed to a situation such as carbon monoxide," said the Hattinger fire department spokesman Jens Herkströter, according to the "West German General Newspaper". "That's why the top priority was to get people out of the building." But late in the evening, according to the report, the fire department spoke of an unclear situation picture. "There was no explosion, no fire", it was called from the control center of the fire department.
After the evacuation, the building was inspected by firefighters, the district chimney sweep and the gasworker's staff - all measurements were negative. No more carbon monoxide has been detected in the air, said a fire department spokesman.
Thus, the trigger of the incident - as it also reported the WDR - as unclear, even if the symptoms of the injured could fit to a carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether investigations to the incident are taken, is decided according to data of a police spokesman on Monday.
The guests were finally allowed to return to the building to get their belongings. "The party was not continued," reported the fire department. "Many guests, despite the somewhat unfortunate situation, fully understood the work of the emergency services."
Why carbon monoxide is so dangerous
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. This makes it a particularly treacherous danger: If it flows out, you can - unlike smoke - not see or smell it. That's why it's also called a silent killer .
Poisoning causes a massive lack of oxygen in the body. The consequences include headaches, palpitations, nausea, apathy, shortness of breath and, in the worst case, death, depending on the concentration.