Kerry Burke and John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — A carbon monoxide leak at a Bronx apartment building sickened seven adults and children, along with four first responders who rushed to their aid Monday.
The FDNY cleared out 15 apartments in a building on Decatur Ave. at E. 195th St. about 5:20 p.m., and found seven people — including a mom and her two children, ages 1 and 4 — overcome by the odorless and dangerous fumes, officials said.
All seven went to Jacobi Hospital, as did four EMS members, an FDNY spokesman said.
“The carbon monoxide measured 200 parts per million. That’s high,” FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Gunning said.
“They were nauseous and had trouble breathing,” Gunning said of the victims.
Exposure at that level can cause disorientation, unconsciousness and death. The levels climbed even higher — up to 500 parts per million — before firefighters cleared the leak, FDNY officials said.
“The fire department knocked on my door saying it was carbon monoxide in the building. Everybody get out,” said Grismaldy Lopez, 29. “They took one guy out on a stretcher and he was looking bad.”
Lopez’s 8-year-old son Bobby was rattled by the experience. “I was scared. I was like, ‘What’s going on, mommy?’ We had to get out,” he said.
Gunning said a furnace defect likely caused the leak.
“We evacuated a total of 15 apartments. When we shut the boiler down and opened the windows, the levels went down,” Gunning said.
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