Thirteen poisoned in German apartment

Thirteen people at a party in an apartment in western Germany have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning after they brewed coffee on a coal-burning stove.

Fire officials in the city of Krefeld said shortly after the coffee was prepared on Saturday, seven guests complained of severe nausea and went to hospital for treatment.

Rescuers then went to the apartment and came across three other guests who said they were feeling sick.

Later, rescuers picked up three further patients from their own apartments. The patients were taken to hospitals in the nearby cities of Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen.

Carbon monoxide is created when charcoal or gas is burned in conditions where there is limited air available. It can lead to unconsciousness and death by asphyxiation.