Carbon monoxide kills 1, sickens 8 at area apartments
Source of leak isn’t identified; dozens evacuated
The pushed-up windows and open balcony doors at the Aberdeen Apartments on Saturday afternoon could have indicated a balmy, mid-December day when temperatures touched 80 degrees.
But instead, the fresh air was needed in one of the buildings where illnesses reported Saturday led firefighters to a carbon monoxide leak.
Within minutes, authorities discovered one person dead and at least eight so sickened they required transport to local hospitals. Dozens of others were ordered to evacuate from their Westchase-area apartments until Monday.
An emergency call was received about 11:43 a.m. from someone reporting breathing problems in the 9900 block of Richmond, according to Houston Fire Department spokesman Kenyatta Parker.
Investigators confirmed the carbon monoxide leak by Saturday afternoon but had not identified the source, he said. Fire authorities had not officially connected gas exposure to the death. The identity of the deceased individual, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be confirmed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sudden illness or death to people and pets.
HFD trucks and ambulances along with more than a dozen firefighters responded to the southwest Houston complex.
Bryan Rudder was playing a video game around noon when someone knocked on his door. Moments later, his mother told him they had to evacuate because of a gas leak.
“I’ve just been outside ever since,” the 17-yearold said.
Andrew Martin, also 17, said he grabbed clothes when authorities knocked on his door.
Both teens’ families planned to seek shelter with relatives. Neither young man reported symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure.
Aletter to residents from Ashford Aberdeen, the entity that manages the complex, said that Building 4 “tested positive for traces of carbon monoxide” and that residents of the structure would “need to temporarily be out of their apartments until further notice; possibly Monday.”
When approached with questions about the incident on Saturday afternoon, leasing office personnel declined to comment.
By Saturday afternoon, 10-year-old resident Ashley Fatto was packing with her mother to spend at least one night with family members.
“They told us that we have to evacuate for 48 hours because they still have to clear out the gas,” she said. “I was feeling a headache and my mom was feeling chest pain.”
Cleared units had yellow caution tape across their front doors. Apartments where officials stormed inside were having new doors delivered and installed on Saturday afternoon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and P re- vention, carbon monoxide exposure can mimic the flu; symptoms include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills an average 430 people in the United States annually and sends approximately 50,000 to emergency departments each year, the CDC reports.