THE NATION - News from Aug. 4, 2009
Noxious fumes at a trash disposal facility sent 119 people to hospitals, including two who were in critical condition.
Firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. in New Bedford just after 10 a.m. after a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick, New Bedford Fire Chief Paul Leger said.
As many as 10 people lost consciousness after breathing the fumes, authorities said. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals.
Police will treat the chemical leak as a criminal investigation until they can determine if it was an accident, New Bedford Police Chief Ron Teachman said.
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