An ice hockey game in Memmingen had to be stopped early due to a gas leak.
The players were taken to the hospital.
The cause is still unclear.
Memmingen - The first match of the new season in the women's ice hockey Bundesliga ended prematurely for the ECDC Memmingen Indians players and their opponents: several players complained of headaches and circulatory problems in the game against EC Bergkamener Bären.
Toxic carbon monoxide escaped during the ice hockey game in the ice rink in Memmingen.
A number of players and spectators were injured.
Memminger Eisstadion is evacuated: 46 injured after gas leak
As the German Women's Ice Hockey League announced on social media, the game had to be stopped after 40 minutes with a score of 5-0 because a number of players suffered from headaches, breathing difficulties or nausea.
The hall was then evacuated on Saturday evening (October 1st).
As a police spokesman told Bayerischer Rundfunk, 46 people suffered injuries.
They were treated in nearby hospitals.
Almost all players complained about dizziness, nausea, headaches or pressure on the ears.
The majority of those affected were discharged from the hospital that night.
Ice hockey game canceled due to carbon monoxide levels: cause unclear
The reason for the complaints was an increased level of carbon monoxide in the ice rink, as the fire brigade found in subsequent measurements.
"The carbon monoxide levels were measurable, but fortunately not critical," said a fire department spokesman.
After the emergency services found an increased concentration of the odorless gas, the building was ventilated.
The cause of the increased carbon monoxide content has not yet been precisely clarified.
The investigators assume that a defect in the combustion engine of an ice machine could be the trigger.
As the Memmingen fire brigade informed the BR, a gas leak in the ice rink has already been ruled out.
The second meeting between ECDC Memmingen and EC Bergkamen planned for Sunday (October 2nd) was also cancelled.
(sf/dpa)