Dozens of residents were evacuated from a block of seafront apartments in Hastings last night after emergency crews detected dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide coming from a nearby commercial generator.
Emergency services were called to Robertson Terrace at around 6.47pm, responding to reports that several people inside Queens Apartments were suffering from symptoms consistent with carbon monoxide inhalation.
When firefighters from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service arrived, they worked with gas engineers from SGN to trace the source of the leak. Crews identified a diesel generator at a neighbouring commercial premises as producing elevated levels of carbon monoxide, which had seeped into the residential building.
As a precaution, all residents were evacuated from the affected apartments while the building was ventilated.
A spokesperson for the fire service said a “significant number of people” were showing signs of exposure to the toxic gas. Paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) assessed 16 individuals at the scene. Seven people were taken to hospital for further treatment, while the remainder were treated on-site.
The A259 along Hastings seafront was temporarily closed as multiple emergency vehicles attended the incident.
Investigations into how the fumes entered the flats are ongoing, and residents were advised not to return until safety checks had been completed.
Add your first comment to this post