(DailyAnswer.org) – More than fifty Mormons have fallen victim to carbon monoxide poisoning with several ending up hospitalized and in hyperbaric chambers. Of the 54 attending the service on December 31st, 49 required treatment, with 22 hospitalized. Officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Monroe, Utah, claimed the poisoning was caused by a fault in the church’s heating system, and have stated that the building will remain closed until the malfunction is fixed and the exact cause of the poisoning is confirmed.
The fire department ordered an evacuation of the church after a 4-year-old girl experienced breathing problems, a man fell sick and a family experienced headaches after exiting the building. Church member Clint Wirick called emergency services, stating later that a friend of a friend had died from carbon monoxide poisoning and that this was in the back of his mind as he realized something was very wrong during the service. Church officials have stressed that they are working to support medical and other expenses of the attendees affected.
The Sherrif’s office in Monroe said that local responders did not have enough ambulances to take in all those reporting sickness and that units from neighboring counties had to be called upon to assist. As temperatures plummet in the winter months and heating systems are left running for hours, the risk of poisoning by carbon monoxide increases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data, at least 420 die each year in the US due to carbon monoxide poisoning accidents and 100,000 enter the emergency room requiring treatment because of them.
This is not the first time church members have been rushed to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning during the winter period; In December 2021 six members of Mount Pisgah Ministry in Evanston, Illinois, went to the emergency room for treatment. In November 2011 44 were rushed to hospital with symptoms from the First Baptist Church in Edmonton, Alberta.
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