The community of Florina in northwestern Macedonia was startled when 14 guests at a hotel in Limnochori village fainted in the early hours of Sunday, October 27, showing symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning believed to be caused by fumes from the lodge’s heating system.
Firefighters, police, and medical emergency services (EKAV) responded promptly, evacuating the hotel and transporting affected guests—some in unconscious or semi-conscious states—to nearby hospitals in Florina and Ptolemaida for respiratory treatment. Two individuals are reported to be in critical condition, with one currently intubated.
The alarm was raised when a couple on their balcony overheard a man from a neighboring room calling for help at around 2:30 a.m., saying that his wife had fainted.
Pavlos Sarigiannidis, the Deputy Mayor of Amyntaio, spoke about the incident during a morning show on Mega TV: “I received the first call from the police at 2:30 a.m. and went immediately. The guests, aged between 30 and 55 years, were in their rooms, not in a common area. The hotel had recently been renovated and reopened just two months ago, operating normally until now. The heating system was in use at the time of the incident.”
According to Sarigiannidis, carbon monoxide fumes filled the hotel, prompting the Fire Brigade to bring in a specialist for further investigation.
As investigations continue, the hotel owner has been arrested and is currently in custody at the Amyntaio Police Station.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, seizures, chest pain, disorientation, and loss of consciousness. It is crucial to treat CO poisoning immediately by getting to fresh air and calling for emergency medical assistance.
