Carbon Monoxide Sickens Eight People In Norristown
By Cherri Gregg
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Eight people were hospitalized, two in critical condition, after a carbon monoxide leak in Norristown, Montgomery County.
Fire crews were called to a home along the 100 block of West Airy Lane around 11 p.m. Saturday.
When fire officials arrived on the scene they found elevated levels of carbon monoxide inside five row homes and immediately evacuated the residents inside.
"The whole row of homes had levels of carbon monoxide in it," said Norristown Fire Chief Tom O'Donnell, "some over one-thousand parts per million."
Authorities say the source of the leak was a gas powered generator running in the basement of one of the homes.
"Power to the home was shut off for non-payment by the utility company on the 21st of (May)," O'Donnell said. "Sometime between then (and now) they went out and purchased a new generator, and they were running that to power the home."
Fire officials say fortunately a neighbor had a working carbon monoxide detector that went off and they called 911.
Eight people, including a paramedic, were taken to local hospitals. Two of the victims were flown to the hospital in critical condition.
Two dogs were also rescued and treated by paramedics.
