According to investigators, three persons found dead in a care home may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
At 05:20 BST, emergency services were summoned to Gainsborough Care Home on Ulwell Road in Swanage, Dorset.
Seven individuals were brought to the hospital, and residents were moved from the facility to a nearby church hall.
Dorset Police said the deaths were being investigated as “unexplained,” with probable carbon monoxide poisoning being the “primary line of investigation”.
Speaking at a press conference, Ch Supt Heather Dixey stated: “I would stress that there is currently no risk to the general population.
“The families of the deceased have been notified, as has the coroner.
“Swanage is a very close-knit community and I know these very sad deaths will have a significant impact on everyone here.”
Agincare runs the home, which has 48 inhabitants, all of them are old and some suffer from dementia.
Residents from the residence were observed being transferred, some in wheelchairs, to All Saints Church, which is a short distance away.
Emergency beds were also brought to the hall.
Agincare stated in a statement that it has dedicated “extra staffing resources” to provide support following an incident at the location, and that residents who were relocated to a village hall and church are “safe and well”.
They said: “We appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved, and have allocated extra staffing resources to provide support locally. We are contacting and updating residents’ families.
“We will continue to work with the lead local authority services to return residents into their home at the earliest opportunity, and will provide further updates in due course.”
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