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Shock in the Cinemaxx Heilbronn: Irritant gas alarm – 20 people affected!
On Friday evening in Heilbronn, around 20 people were injured by suspected irritant gas in the Cinemaxx cinema. Police are investigating.
Shock in the Cinemaxx Heilbronn: Irritant gas alarm – 20 people affected!
On Friday evening, January 9th, there was a worrying incident in the foyer of the Cinemaxx cinema in Heilbronn when around 20 cinemagoers complained of respiratory irritation. At around 9 p.m., a large number of firefighters and rescue workers were called in to deal with the situation. The police assume that irritant gas was probably sprayed in the premises. However, when the emergency services arrived, no irritant could be detected, which made the investigation even more difficult.
Four of the people affected actually suffered minor injuries, including two who complained of acute dizziness. Medical care for these people was immediately ensured, while other affected people were cared for on site. The exact cause of the respiratory irritation has yet to be determined, although a technical defect has been ruled out. The police have filed a complaint against unknown persons on suspicion of bodily harm.
First symptoms and possible consequences
Inhalation of irritant gases can lead to serious health problems. Possible symptoms include irritation of the eyes and nose, coughing, bloody sputum and shortness of breath. According to information from the medical literature, most irritant gases cause immediate mucosal irritation, requiring rapid medical intervention. Veterinary care is important to prevent long-term damage to the respiratory system, as some gases can also be used as chemical warfare agents and are common in industrial environments.
Treatment of inhalation injuries includes, among other things, the administration of oxygen and medication to relieve symptoms. Removal from the source of exposure is also one of the first steps of successful therapy. Of particular concern is that less soluble gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, can cause delayed symptoms that result in long-term lung damage.
The Heilbronn police investigation continues while the city administration and local health authorities inform about the incident in order to avoid a similar situation in the future.
For further information on the effects of irritant gases and their symptoms, we refer to the specialist articles from MSD Manuals, as well as the reports from SWR and Voice.