The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A carbon monoxide leak is being blamed for killing a 12-year-old girl and sickening five other children and a mother during a pool-party sleepover in Morgantown.
State Police Senior Trooper J.R. Celapino says two girls and three boys between the ages of 12 and 15 were hospitalized. At least two children were flown to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
None of the victims' names have been released.
Celapino says a preliminary investigation indicates a faulty heater for an indoor pool caused carbon monoxide to fill the house.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause headaches, dizziness, weakness and chest pain. Exposure to high levels can lead to loss of consciousness and death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 500 people in the United States die each year from accidental carbon-monoxide poisoning.
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