Three dead following 'suspected carbon monoxide leak' at Dorset care home as staff seen 'hugging and crying'

23 October 2024, 11:34 | Updated: 23 October 2024, 17:01

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Three people have died and four others have been taken to hospital following a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a Dorset care home.

Police have now confirmed three people have died after emergency services responded to a major incident at the Gainsborough Care Home on Ulwell Road, Swanage, shortly after 5:20am on Wednesday.

Dorset Police have said the reason for the deaths is still "unconfirmed".

It follows initial reports from local Conservative councillor Gary Suttle, who confirmed the deaths to LBC on Wednesday morning.

He added that there is a "suspicion" that "this could be attributable to carbon monoxide but it has not been proven".

Multiple ambulances, fire engines and police response vehicles are currently in attendance, with responders and care home residents believed to be gathering in the nearby All Saints Church in the town.

Reverend Jo Levasier, the Team Vicar for All Saint's Church, confirmed that the carers and some residents from Gainsborough Care Home have been evacuated to the church.

Live: 'Three dead' at Swanage care home after ‘suspected carbon monoxide leak’

Swanage care home - emergency response with residents moved to the All Saints Church.

A spokesperson for Gainsborough Care Home said in a statement: "An incident involving the care home took place this morning, and we have been closely working with the lead agencies to manage the welfare of all concerned.

"The wellbeing of residents is always our overriding priority, and part of the local business continuity plan was to transfer residents in a managed way to a local village hall and church, where they remain safe and well.

"We appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved, and have allocated extra staffing resources to provide support locally.

"We are contacting and updating residents’ families.

"We will continue to work with the lead local authority services to return residents into their home at the earliest opportunity, and will provide further updates in due course.

Emergency service response as all care home residents moved to the All Saints Church.

The major incident has also seen fire engines, police cars and hazardous response units drafted in from neighbouring districts.

Two patients have been taken to Poole Hospital by ambulance, South Western Ambulance Service confirmed.

Staff at the care home were seen hugging each other and crying according to locals outside the address.

It comes as a spokesperson for gas network company, SGN, confirmed engineers were called to the care home this morning in what it described as a "tragic incident".

Katie Lobban said: "Our engineers are waiting for access to the building to complete safety checks".

She added: "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this tragic incident."

Read more: Live: 'Three dead' at Swanage care home after ‘suspected carbon monoxide leak’

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Taking to social media, local resident and healthcare worker, Patricia Garnel, posted an image of emergency services aboard a ferry connecting Sandbanks and Swanage

She wrote: "They keep coming. On the ferry now.

"More ambulances waiting on sandbanks. While waiting at least two white police cars came out from the ferry. There’s more ambulances waiting to get in the ferry."

South Western Ambulance Service confirmed they had responded to calls from the public early on Wednesday.

"A Hazardous Area Response Team, ten double-crewed ambulances & a significant number of additional resources" were deployed to the scene.

They also confirmed that two patients had been taken to nearby Poole Hospital by ambulance.

The Gainsborough care home, run by Agincare, is a retirement facility comprised of 48 bedrooms split over two floors, according to Agincare's website.

Emergency service vehicles could be seen parked at the nearby All Saints church, with incident response vehicles lining the streets.

The wide-reaching response saw emergency service vehicles drafted in from neighbouring areas, with ambulances spotted on a local ferry heading towards sandbanks.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement: “We were called at 7.47am this morning (23 October) to assist the ambulance service in Ulwell Road, Swanage.

"We currently have four fire crews on scene from Swanage, Wareham, Westbourne, Poole, a support vehicle from Dorchester along with two crews from Winchester (Hampshire and IOW FRS).

"Firefighters are working with Dorset Police, South West Ambulance Service and other partners to resolve this incident.” Neil Tidball said:

“We were called at 7.47am this morning (23 October) to assist the ambulance service in Ulwell Road, Swanage.

"We currently have four fire crews on scene from Swanage, Wareham, Westbourne, Poole, a support vehicle from Dorchester along with two crews from Winchester (Hampshire and IOW FRS).

"Firefighters are working with Dorset Police, South West Ambulance Service and other partners to resolve this incident.”

This is a developing story.