A woman was left fighting for her life from carbon monoxide poisoning after a disconnected boiler leaked toxic gas into an illegally converted apartment in Queens on Christmas Eve morning, authorities said.
The unidentified woman was found on the top floor of a home on 194th Street in St. Albans just before 10:30 a.m. and was rushed to Nassau County Medical Center in critical condition, fire officials said. It is said that of the building.
Three other people who lived in the home were also taken to local hospitals in stable condition.
Ryan Mohan, one of the building's residents, said: told WABC The woman and her daughter suddenly “fell down.”
Responding firefighters walked through the house searching for the woman, using carbon monoxide detectors and screaming, the newspaper reported.
“There were meters to test for carbon monoxide on each floor and each floor showed carbon monoxide,” Mohan said.
Authorities did not release the victim's identity or age.
A Department of Buildings inspector was then called to the scene and found the boiler was not connected properly, so carbon monoxide was “not properly vented outside the home,” a DOB spokesperson said. said.
Two boilers and two water heaters in the building were ordered to shut down.
The duplex was also used to house seven families, and the apartment was rented out in the basement and attic without proper work permits, according to the DOB.
Residents are being forced to stay elsewhere this Christmas after partial eviction orders have been issued for their homes.
The Red Cross was helping evacuated residents find alternative housing Tuesday.
“I feel sorry for the tenants because it's a holiday right now,” a neighbor told ABC 7.
“Now they have to find a place to stay. It's a mess.”
