1 dead, 3 ill in possible case of gas poisoning
Hazardous materials crews search 48-unit Koreatown apartment building and find elevated levels of carbon monoxide, ‘a silent killer’
One person was found dead and three others fell ill at a Koreatown apartment building Thursday evening in what authorities believe to be a case of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.
Hazardous materials crews searched each of the 48 units in the four-story building at 920 S. Hobart Blvd., where in some areas they found elevated levels of carbon monoxide, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“It’s a silent killer,” Humphrey said, adding that the 90-year-old building was evacuated as crews turned off utilities and blew fresh air through the structure.
Crews were called to the complex shortly before 6 p.m.
During the search, they used hand-held sensing equipment.
Some units were empty and authorities had to force their way in.
No other victims were found in the search, but fire crews said a second person had been found dead recently in the complex.
It’s unclear whether the previous incident is related.
The three people who were sickened were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Humphrey advised residents to never use a generator indoors, get heating equipment and appliances checked regularly, and make sure their carbon monoxide alarms work.