5 People Hospitalized in Atlanta Hotel Carbon Monoxide Leak

Five people were hospitalized on Friday after a suspected carbon monoxide leak in a downtown Atlanta hotel, according to authorities. Newsweek reached out to the Residence Inn by Marriott via email for comment Friday afternoon. Why It Matters Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that can cause sudden illness and even death if inhaled. It is odorless and colorless, making it impossible to detect without a carbon monoxide detector. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hundreds of people die and thousands more get ill from carbon monoxide poisoning every year. What To Know Shortly after 9 a.m. local time on Friday, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department responded to the Residence Inn by Marriott, and the hotel was evacuated. “The gas line has been shut off, and the situation is stable,” according to an online update from Atlanta Fire Rescue. Atlanta Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Greg Gray told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that three adults and two children were hospitalized to monitor for possible carbon monoxide poisoning. The hotel is located in the historic 21-story Rhodes-Haverty building. Fire Crews Respond To The Atlanta Hotel Gray said Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to a report of hotel guests feeling ill. Once responders were on the scene it became clear that there was a carbon monoxide “issue throughout the building,” according to Gray. The fire department was monitoring carbon monoxide levels and ventilating the building as of late Friday morning. Residence Inn by Marriott Evacuated Roughly 80 fire rescue personnel were called to the scene to help evacuate the building, Gray said. It took an hour to get all of the guests out of the hotel, the assistant chief said. According to hotel staff, 100 of the building’s 160 rooms were occupied at the time of evacuation, Gray said. What People Are Saying Dave Adams, a hotel guest, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “We didn’t know what was going on at first, so it was pretty upsetting.” Gray told the newspaper about the fire department’s response: “It’s just a very time-consuming process, but they’re continuing to monitor until they get the readings down to an acceptable level before we leave the incident.” What Happens Next The cause of the suspected leak has yet to be announced, and hotel guests have yet to be allowed back into the building. Gray told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he would not speculate on the cause of the incident or when guests might be allowed to return to the hotel. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press. Five people were hospitalized on Friday after a suspected carbon monoxide leak in a downtown Atlanta hotel, according to authorities. Five people were hospitalized on Friday after a suspected carbon monoxide leak in a downtown Atlanta hotel, according to authorities. Reinhard Krull/Getty Images