A fourth death has been attributed to Melbourne’s “thunderstorm asthma” emergency on Monday night, and it was lucky there were not more according to the state’s Health Minister.
More than 2,000 people suffered breathing problems when a severe storm combined with an extreme pollen count to cause what is being described as “thunderstorm asthma”.
Hospitals were swamped with emergency patients, while firefighters and police were called on to help paramedics respond to thousands of calls after the conditions caused breathing problems for Victorians.
Jill Hennessy, the Health Minister, said it was like “a bomb going off”, with all ambulances, police, fire and non-emergency transport being used to deal with the crisis.
“Our health system was stretched to the limit,” she told 774 ABC Melbourne.
“We know that we’ve got some people in intensive care units as well.
Student died two days before graduating from high school
Apollo Papadopoulos, 35, and Clarence Leo are the latest men confirmed to have died due to an asthma attack.
Meanwhile friends and family have been paying tribute to the two other victims, Omar Moujalled and Hope Carnevali.
Mr Moujalled, 18, was a student at the Australian International Academy at Coburg North, in Melbourne’s inner north.
“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the death of Omar Moujalled, one of our Year 12 students. Sadly, he passed away last night from a medical condition,” a statement on the school’s Facebook page read.