A train incident in Kazakhstan’s largest city has left 52 individuals with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
Among those affected, ten children have been admitted to the hospital, with two of them in critical condition in the intensive care unit as reported by the Almaty city public health department.
The distressing episode unfolded at Almaty-2 railway station in the southeastern part of the Central Asian nation. The health department stated that thirteen ambulance teams rushed to the scene, treating a total of 52 individuals, including children. All victims were promptly transported to city medical facilities for assessment and essential medical attention.
The ten hospitalized children are under close observation by medical staff, while the remaining 42 individuals have been released for further care at their residences, officials confirmed.
‘Passenger Transportation,’ Kazakhstan’s national rail carrier, acknowledged that a film crew was present in the carriages at the time of the incident and clarified that the train was operated by a private entity.
In a statement, a company spokesperson addressed the circulating reports of carbon monoxide poisoning upon the train’s arrival at Almaty-2 railway station, emphasizing that the national carrier was not involved in the occurrence.
The spokesperson added, “The train involved in the incident is not under the ownership of JSC ‘Passenger Transportation’ but belongs to a private carrier. The carriages were provided to a film studio for shooting purposes.”
According to local media outlet TengriNews, a South Korean TV series was being filmed aboard the train. A witness recounted the ordeal, stating that the film crew occupied the warm carriage initially, leaving the other passengers, including women and children, in a cold carriage.
After enduring approximately three hours of filming in the cold carriage without adequate heating, the passengers were eventually moved to another cold carriage where a gas burner was set up by the organizers.
Describing the chaotic scene, the witness mentioned that around 50 people crowded around the gas burner, with children being the closest. Soon after, children started fainting, triggering panic among the passengers.
Paramedics and law enforcement officials attended to the injured individuals at the station following the incident.
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