Uni students hospitalised after suspected gas leak at Parktown residence

A number of students were assessed and hospitalised after a suspected gas leak at a residence of an unnamed university in Parktown, Johannesburg on Sunday night. 

ER24, City of Johannesburg EMS and other services were called to the scene after students began complaining of shortness of breath. 

ER24 paramedics said when they got to the scene, the students, aged 18 and upwards, had already evacuated the building, and were standing on the sidewalk and street awaiting assistance. 

A triage area was set up, where around 170 people were assessed. 60 ended up being hospitalised, with the remaining patients declining further medical treatment.

It is not yet known what caused the mass shortness of breath, but local authorities were at the scene to investigate the possible cause of the incident. 

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What to do if you have inhaled gas

Carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas with no taste or smell, can cause illness and even death. 

And accidental carbon monoxide poisoning happens more often than one might think. 

The UK NHS explains when carbon monoxide is breathed in, it enters your bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin, to form carboxyhemoglobin. 

This prevents your blood from carrying oxygen, which causes cells and tissue to fail and die. 

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: 

• Dizziness; 
• Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing;
• Feeling and being sick; 
• Fatigue and confusion; and
• Stomach pain.

Many symptoms are similar to a person having the flu or food poisoning, but carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause a fever. 

If you think you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, call emergency services right away, and find fresh air. The longer you breathe in carbon monoxide, the worse the health implications will be. 

Compiled by Nica Richards.