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yeah i'm right
Gas leak sickens people at Palmer House
By Jeremy Gorner
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 13, 2006, 6:49 PM CST
About 20 people were injured, three seriously, after Freon gas leaked from a refrigeration system at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel this afternoon, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
The restaurant of the hotel, 17 E. Monroe St., was evacuated shortly after 2 p.m. after there were reports of people affected by Freon, a gas used to help operate the cooling system, fire department spokesman Larry Langford said.
Seventeen of the 20 injured were in good condition and the other three were originally considered in serious-to-critical condition after suffering from nausea and irritation, said Langford and Fire Commander Will Knight. Forty-five people refused treatment from paramedics at the scene. The restaurant employees and customers were taken to Stroger Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center.
Maintenance work was underway on the refrigeration system, causing it to leak Freon fumes, Langford said. Authorities initially had suspected an air-conditioning system, which also uses Freon. A full evacuation of the hotel was not necessary because the fumes dissipated quickly and did not travel far, Langford said.
A Hazardous Materials response team and at least 10 ambulances were sent to the scene. People have since been allowed to re-enter the hotel, Langford said at 4:45 p.m.
Traffic along surrounding streets has since been restored and all CTA buses affected by the incident have returned to their normal schedules.
Freon exposure can cause dizziness, loss of coordination, irregular heartbeat and palpitations at very high concentrations, according to Web sites.
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