23 people poisoned by gas in major Istanbul hotel

Istanbul - Around 23 people, mainly tourists, have been hospitalized after a gas leak in the Modern Sultan Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to the local newspaper, Today's Zaman, the incident happened at the hotel, located in İstanbul's Fatih district, early on Monday. 21 of the people affected are foreign tourists and two are hotel employees. Four people are apparently in a critical condition and ambulances rushed them to local hospitals. Apparently the patients were described as unconscious, with white foam coming from their mouths. The tourists were taken to the Haseki Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul University Hospital, and other hospitals in Istanbul, Okmeydani, Taksim and Sisli Etfal. Firefighters and gas experts are on the scene, investigating the cause.