Strabane pensioner has carbon monoxide poisoning scare
A woman in her 60s is recovering after she was poisoned by carbon monoxide in her home in Strabane, County Tyrone.
Fire crews treated her with oxygen at the scene.
The woman's daughter found her unconscious inside the house at St John's Place on Saturday evening.
The family are not speaking publicly about the incident but have asked for other people to be vigilant as carbon monoxide poisoning can kill within minutes.
Once the woman had been treated at the scene, fire-fighters wearing breathing apparatus checked for carbon monoxide in the house and found low levels of the gas inside.
They then ventilated it and searched neighbouring properties as a precaution.
The Housing Executive has investigated the potential source of the gas but it is not yet clear where it came from.
The Health and Safety Executive is urging everyone to take precautions and to watch out for the telltale signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, like nausea, dizziness and tiredness.
Precautions include having chimneys swept regularly, and having all appliances checked that burn oil, gas, coal, turf or wood.
Carbon monoxide is produced when those fuels are not burned properly.
More information is available on the Health and Safety Executive's website.
The HSE says 63 people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning over the past ten years in Northern Ireland
The gas can also cause serious harm, causing paralysis or brain damage.
Last year the law changed in Northern Ireland and it is now compulsory for all new homes to have audible carbon monoxide alarms.