WEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) — A carbon monoxide leak at a West Miami-Dade office building sent 17 people to the hospital and made dozens sick, Monday.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene at the Lennar Corporation offices, in the area of Northwest 107th Avenue and Seventh Street. About 80 people were sent home because they felt sick. Approximately 400 people work at the building.
Crews evacuated the building, and officials said they found the highest concentration levels of carbon monoxide on the second floor. "The initial readings on our arrival were 80 parts per million, and obviously we want them at zero, so it’s significantly high," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Rogelio Vandamas.
Officials said the source of the leak came from the drains in the first floor bathrooms.
Paramedics treated and monitored between 25 and 30 people at the scene and transported 17 others who tested with high enough levels to warrant a trip to the hospital. "We are sending them to the hospital to get further evaluation, with different complaints from headache, dizziness, nausea," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Robert Betancourt. "We’re getting readings for carbon monoxide levels that are a little above what should be normal, so we’re getting them to medical facilities including Palmetto, Kendall and Baptist Hospital for now."
One of the victims experienced severe respiratory distress and was taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center. Some of the others are being transported to Baptist Hospital for observation.
According to Vandamas, crews were able to ventilate the building and they discovered the source of the leak, however, it is unclear if the building is safe. "If we don’t get the levels down, we are not going to reopen the building," said Vandamas.
Before the building can reopen, the company must bring in an environmental assessment company to solve exactly what malfunctioned.