Toxic fuel leak in Limerick estate puts residents in hospital

CHAOS and fury has erupted in a Limerick housing estate, as residents have been hospitalised, given oxygen, and left struggling to breathe following a toxic fuel leak, with locals accusing authorities of “neglecting” their duty to them.

Locals at Collins Park in Abbeyfeale have been left “boiling with anger” after the situation -which began last November - has grown so bad that the fire service, ambulance and gardai have been in regular attendance in the West Limerick estate in the last few days, with a strong smell leaving people feeling nauseous, dizzy and vomiting.

A spokesperson for Uisce Eireann confirmed kerosene - which can be deadly - has leaked into the local sewerage system and added: “We are treating this matter with the utmost priority”.

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Separately, the council said an investigation into the leak revealed it was associated with a heating system in a house on the estate.

One resident, Siobhan O'Mahony - who has complained of the issue since late November - said the odour is coming up from the toilet, sink and showers in her bathroom.

“The smell is potent. It’s like you have your head over an oil tank and you're inhaling the fumes from the oil tank,” she said.

Limerick Live can confirm a fire crew was on the scene for two hours on Monday night, and administered oxygen to one elderly resident who was out of breath.

It's understood they also flushed the drains on multiple occasions in the last few days, with residents saying this has proven vital in ensuring they could stay in their homes across the weekend.

“On Thursday night, we had two ambulances, two fire brigades, two of the fire vans and the gardai. A paramedic put one of the residents into the back of an ambulance, and gave her oxygen and everything. The paramedic told them it was lucky they were not brought out in three coffins,” Siobhan said.

She added the smell has been an issue since last November, and she has made 23 complaints to Limerick City and County Council, plus Uisce Eireann, formerly Irish Water.

Last month, she was sent to the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick after getting severe headaches.

“The doctor has me on three courses of antibiotics, and two courses of steroids. My son, who is only 11, has been put on the same. We have loss of earnings from work. Plus medical bills - we don't have medical cards or anything like this. Then there is the cost of the medication,” the mum-of-two said.

District leader, Cllr Liam Galvin, who joined local TD and Minister Patrick O’Donovan in the estate on Monday, described the situation as “hell”, and added: “I was in below in a house on Thursday night, and my eyes were burning out of my head from the fumes of the kerosene.”

Another local, who gave her name as Julie added: “When you're being told by a professional you're ringing for help - because someone has inhaled carbon monoxide - and you're told to get out of your house, that's what is frightening.”

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said it has been working with the owner of the home where the leak was detected to carry out repairs.

While they are satisfied the operation was successful, they added it might take a number of days for the smell to completely go. In the meantime, council added it has “initiated the process of flushing the sewerage infrastructure and injecting an odour neutraliser”.