Two women were hospitalized by a carbon-monoxide leak at a condominium building yesterday afternoon.
Firefighters responded to a 911 call at 4:23 p.m. to a building at North Boulevard and Kensington Avenue in the Fan District. They evacuated the building but there were only two occupants at the time -- two women in a ground-floor room, both incoherent from the gas, said Lt. Shawn Jones, a Richmond Fire Department spokesman.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is toxic to humans and animals.
The women were transported to VCU Medical Center in stable condition and were expected to be fine, Jones said. A friend arrived at the building, discovered something was wrong and alerted authorities. Four pet dogs from the building were taken by animal control but will be released back to their owners.
Traffic was diverted for several blocks on Boulevard and Kensington during the evening rush hour.
The leak came from a disconnected vent pipe in the basement, Jones said.
By 8 p.m., residents were allowed back inside, though the heating system was nonoperational for the night.
"Incidents like this show that people need to have a carbon-monoxide detector in their home," Jones said. -- Chris I. Young
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement