9 Taken To Hospital Following Gas Leak At Miami Beach Hotel

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Nine people were taken to the hospital Thursday morning following an apparent carbon monoxide leak at the Shore Club hotel on Miami Beach, according to the Miami Beach Fire Department.

Jorge Linares of the agency told Patch all of the patients work in the hotel kitchen or in hotel maintenance.

He said at least eight people were evaluated on the scene and released.

"We've been evaluating patients and taking them in after we check them out if their levels of CO in their blood haven't normalized," he said, adding emergency personnel place a meter on the finger to determine the saturation of oxygen and chemicals in the body.

He said no guests were affected by the carbon monoxide leak though guests were evacuated from the hotel as a precaution.

Fire officials said high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the hotel after a water pump was shut off following a water leak in the pump room.

The hotel is located at 1901 Collins Avenue.

Carbon monoxide is harmful when breathed because it displaces oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain and other vital organs of oxygen, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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