4 Workers Injured by Gas Release at Los Angeles Airport

Authorities said that a carbon dioxide release early on Monday in a utility room at the Los Angeles International Airport caused four worker injuries, one of which was significant.

According to Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, one man's original status was grave but was upgraded to critical upon arrival at a hospital. Initially thought to be in his 50s, the man's actual age was eventually determined to be 36.

A woman, two other guys, and two minor injuries were attended to on the spot.

According to Humphrey, the gas release was first discovered in the Terminal 8 luggage area but was later located in a utility room about 200 feet (61 metres) away.

According to Capt. Erik Scott, a fire spokeswoman, the incident happened at seven in the morning in a room with electrical equipment and a fire suppression system that emits carbon dioxide.

According to Scott, the four victims were four independent contractors who were working in the area when they heard a bursting sound and then a flood of carbon dioxide.

Three persons, two adult males and one adult female, hurriedly exited after that obviously displaces all of the oxygen within, according to Scott.

According to Scott, "The carbon dioxide displaces the oxygen in the bloodstream and the person went into cardiac arrest."

According to Lt. Karla Rodriguez of the Airport Police Department, CPR was initiated by city and airport police officers. After advanced life support was given by paramedics, Scott reported that the man was breathing.

Hazardous materials experts were only finding trace amounts of the colourless and odourless gas, according to Scott, who claimed that firefighters were using blowers to move it out of the structure.

The airport stated that United continued to operate through Terminal 7 and that all incoming United planes that were already in the air continued to fly into Los Angeles, but that a ground halt had been imposed for flights heading toward Los Angeles at airports where they were taking off from. The only effects were on United, and the ground stop was removed around 10 a.m., according to Rodriguez.

According to the airport, Terminal 8 would reopen and be occupied by late morning.