A Rome hotel on Via Aurelia was evacuated at 4:30 AM before dawn after carbon monoxide gas permeated nearly the entire building overnight. The incident, narrowly avoiding tragedy due to swift emergency response, resulted in eight people hospitalized with non-life-threatening poisoning symptoms. Among those affected was an Ares 118 emergency operator.
The alarm was raised around 3:00 AM when the hotel porter called emergency services after a young girl fainted, hitting her head. An ambulance nurse arriving on scene quickly identified the severe danger using a specialized gas detector carried by Ares 118 personnel, revealing abnormally high carbon monoxide levels. The gas, which is odorless and silent, had initially masked its presence.
Other hotel guests simultaneously reported symptoms consistent with gas poisoning – headaches, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. The leak impacted 44 of the hotel’s 46 rooms, leading to the precautionary overnight evacuation of 96 guests.
Firefighters confirmed the leak likely originated from a boiler, which was subsequently seized. “If our personnel had not immediately and correctly assessed the situation, today we would be speaking of a tragedy,” emphasized Ares 118 Director General Narciso Mostarda, praising his team’s readiness.
Lazio Region President Francesco Rocca echoed this sentiment, stating that eight people “owe their lives” to the Ares 118 responders. Thanking the emergency workers, Rocca expressed pride in the “preparation” and “professionalism” of the personnel “who, every day, save human lives safeguarding the health of millions of people.”
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