Three people have been found dead and four people have been taken to hospital after an incident at a Dorset care home, police said.
Emergency services are at the scene at Gainsborough Care Home in Ulwell Road in Swanage, with remaining residents having been evacuated to a safe location.
Several emergency vehicles arrived on the scene of the incident within minutes of it being reported, with a local councillor since confirming that three people have lost their lives.
Here’s what we know – and what we don’t know – about the incident so far
What we know
Police have so far described the incident as ‘unexplained’.
A local councillor has told the PA news agency on Wedneday that there is a “suspicion” that the incident “could be attributable to carbon monoxide but it has not been proven”.
Councillor Gary Suttle called the Gainsborough Care Home incident a “tragic event”.
What we don’t know
The identities of the three people confirmed to have died have not been given.
It is also not know if they were staff, residents, visitors, or in the building for another reason.
Four other people were taken to hospital ‘as a precaution’, police said – but their current condition is not known, or the reason why they were hospitalised.
The Dorset councillor claimed social services had told him three people had died and two people had been taken to hospital.
Mr Suttle said residents of the care home were initially taken to All Saint’s Church, near the scene, and will be moved to other placements.
A Dorset Police spokesman has confirmed three people were found dead at a care home in Ulwell Road, Swanage, with an investigation launched because their deaths are being treated as “unexplained”.
“Four other people have been taken to hospital as a precaution and other residents of the address have been evacuated to a safe location as emergency services respond to the incident,” the spokesman said.
“There remains a significant multi-agency presence in place at the address and a cordon remains in place as we work with partners to carry out further enquiries.
“At this time there is nothing to indicate any risk to the wider public.”
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