Alarm in Legoland

Legoland: Unknown fluid causes shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting

16/10/2011

From a broken ampoule in Legoland apparently harmful substances were released. Several visitors and employees of the Legoland near Günzburg had to be temporarily provided medical care because of severe nausea and vomiting. What was in the broken bottle is still unclear.

The experts of the State Office of Criminal Investigation suspect that the cause of the health complaints among employees and visitors of the Legoland „bad joke“ could have been and the vial was actually intended as a so-called Stinkbombe. However, this assumption must first be examined in the context of further investigations before a final assessment can be made, a spokesman for the Criminal Investigation Office said.

On Saturday, Legoland guests in the Lego factory area had a foul odor emanating from a broken ampoule. The visitors then contacted an employee who immediately tried to remove the leaked liquid with the help of wipes and paper towels. The Legoland employee suffered from an attempt to remove the foul-smelling fluid, with severe shortness of breath followed by a severe nausea. After the immediately alerted emergency doctor arrived, numerous other people reported suffering from symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting. Eleven of those affected, according to the Criminal Investigation Department, only needed outpatient care locally, but a patient with asthma had to be taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Analyzes of the pathogenic fluid follow
The alarmed rescue teams were particularly cautious in the face of symptoms for park visitors and the Legoland staff to prevent further health problems from the outset. With protective suit and respirator, the helpers penetrated into the building. But during the first measurements no harmful substances could be detected. Which liquid could have caused the health problems among the visitors of the amusement park, remained therefore for the time being completely unclear. Even after the removal of the liquid an unpleasant odor was noticeable in the Lego factory, which, however, did not cause any further health problems. In order to determine which fluid was responsible for the onset of the symptoms, after consultation with the chemists of the State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) the paper towels that served for cleaning were secured on site and sealed airtight. The subsequent analysis in the laboratory should now bring light into the darkness. According to first LKA chemists, the broken ampoule could be a nasty joke. The liquid and ampoule strongly remind of a so-called stink bomb, reported the LKA. However, with many people suffering from serious health conditions, police are currently investigating dangerous bodily harm and asking for public support. Anyone who has information about the incidents may contact the police, according to the police.

Hydrogen sulphide causes significant health problems
Most stink bombs work on the basis of the release of hydrogen sulfide, the gas is extremely toxic when inhaled and even in low concentrations irritate the mucous membranes and may cause respiratory distress and dizziness. However, the concentration of hydrogen sulphide in the air usually does not reach levels that are detrimental to health as the gas volatilises relatively quickly. In enclosed spaces, however, the release of hydrogen sulphide can more easily lead to critical concentrations. However, in this case, it seems strange that the rescue teams were unable to detect pollutants in the room air during their measurements. So it remains to be seen whether a stink bomb based on hydrogen sulphide actually caused the health problems among Legoland visitors. (Fp)

Image: Timo