1 woman found dead, 3 Montreal police officers hospitalized after exposure to toxic gas

Three Montreal police officers were sent to hospital after they appeared to have been exposed to a highly toxic gas during a call at an apartment in Lachine.

Three Montreal police officers were sent to hospital after they appeared to have been exposed to a highly toxic gas during a call at an apartment in the city’s Lachine borough.

The incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. on St-Joseph Boulevard.

The officers were called to the apartment by a bailiff who was there for an eviction, according to Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant.

After entering the apartment, one of the officers lost consciousness and collapsed. The other two officers felt dizzy but didn’t lose consciousness.

They also found a 36-year-old woman inside the apartment who was pronounced dead at the scene.

None of the officers’ lives are in danger.

The fire department’s hazmat (hazardous materials) team was called in to assess the situation. Brabant said police conducted air quality tests. They believe there were likely traces of phosphine, a colourless, flammable chemical, in the apartment.

Brabant said 10 nearby residents were displaced after the building was evacuated. All but two of them have since been allowed to return to their homes by 4 p.m. after the apartment was ventilated.

The scene is now in the hands of Montreal police to continue their investigation.