Ten suffer carbon monoxide poisoning during flood relief effort
Črna na Koroškem, 17 August - Ten people, including seven soldiers, got poisoned by carbon monoxide while working in the cellar of a building in Črna na Koroškem (N) on Wednesday as part of the ongoing nation-wide flood relief efforts. They were taken to hospital for observation and have since been discharged, the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) said.
Robert Carotta, the chief physician of the SAF, said in a press statement yesterday that the clean-up work in the cellar had taken place in the afternoon and had been headed by a fire brigade.
A total of 32 people were exposed to carbon monoxide in the cellar - 18 members of the Army of North Macedonia, eight firefighters and six members of the SAF.
All of them were examined and treated on the spot by Carotta, who assessed that their lives were not at risk.
Five members of the SAF, two members of the Army of North Macedonia and one firefighter were then sent to hospital for further treatment and observation.
In the evening, the condition of another two exposed firefighters deteriorated, and they were also taken to hospital, Carotta said.
According to the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, the ten were transported to the UKC Maribor, UKC Ljubljana, Topolšica or Slovenj Gradec hospitals, while 16 people remained under observation in the Role field hospital.
The SAF told the STA later today that all ten soldiers and firefighters had been discharged from hospital - four during the night and the other six today.
While taking part in the flood relief efforts in Črna na Koroškem, the army applies high standards of safety measures, with a medical team being constantly present on the ground to provide immediate assistance and ensure safe evacuation, the SAF said.
The Celje Police Department meanwhile said late on Wednesday that the scene was being investigated by a team from its criminal police sector.