Carbon Monoxide Leak Evacuates London M&S Store

Emergency services declared a major incident at a Marks & Spencer store in southeast London on Tuesday morning after a suspected carbon monoxide leak prompted the evacuation of the premises and medical treatment for dozens of people.

The incident unfolded at the store on Gallions Road in Charlton shortly before 9 a.m. on December 16. Firefighters from the London Fire Brigade arrived at 8:35 a.m. following reports of triggered carbon monoxide alarms. Upon entering the building wearing breathing apparatus, crews used specialist equipment to detect elevated levels of the gas during a systematic sweep. They conducted additional checks, which showed the levels dissipating, and completed a full ventilation of the structure to ensure safety.

Around 35 people had already evacuated the store before the firefighters' arrival, according to brigade officials. The London Ambulance Service, alerted at 9:32 a.m., dispatched a range of resources, including ambulance crews, incident response officers, advanced paramedics, and specialists from its Hazardous Area Response Team. Paramedics treated 30 individuals at the scene for suspected chemical inhalation. Of those, 11 were transported to nearby...