Eight British tourists on holiday in Carsac-de-Gurçon in the Dordogne département were hospitalised on Wednesday due to carbon monoxide poisoning, local news outlet ici Périgord reported.
The incident occurred in a home that the group - three adults and five children - had rented. After they lit a fire, the first two people (a woman and child) began to feel unwell and nauseous.
They went to the hospital in Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt where medical staff diagnosed the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Upon learning that six people were still at the home, the medical staff called emergency services, who ventilated the property and transported the rest of the group to hospital for checks.
Local news reported that the poisoning was likely caused by the wood-burning stove.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is often caused by malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances or blocked chimneys.
By law, all French homes are required to be equipped with smoke detectors, but it is not currently required for households to be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector.
French lawmakers proposed legislation in 2024 to require that households install a CO detector, but this law has not yet been approved by parliament.
For those searching for holiday homes on Airbnb, it is possible to filter (under the 'safety' category) for properties that are equipped with a CO detector.
Comments