Baby among 17 people treated after fire in high rise
Robyn Wuth |
Seventeen people, including a five-month-old baby, have been treated by paramedics after a fire in the rubbish chute of a Surfers Paradise high rise.
Ten people were taken to hospital after the rubbish fire at the 322-metre-tall Q1 residential tower on Monday.
“On our arrival, we were confronted with a partial evacuation and a number of patients experiencing smoke inhalation,” Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Cary Strong said.
Firefighters said smoke from a fire in a rubbish collection bin funnelled through parts of the building, with the disposal chute acting as a funnel.
While the fire was extinguished quickly, the building needed to be ventilated to clear the smoke.
Paramedics treated 17 people ranging in age from five months to their late 80s for smoke inhalation and pre-existing medical conditions exacerbated by the conditions.
A young man was also treated for minor injuries after falling in a stairwell, but paramedics said all patients were stable.
The Q1 Tower was the world’s tallest residential building from 2005 to 2011
AAP
