A tragic incident occurred in Albany Park where a 10-year-old girl died, and a 12-year-old boy was seriously injured due to apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the girl was pronounced dead at Swedish Covenant Hospital, where the boy was also taken and remains in serious condition.
Emergency responders received a call early Monday morning regarding two children who were unconscious, not breathing in a home on the 3000 block of West Gunnison Street. Detectives at the scene detected "high" levels of carbon monoxide at 300 parts per million, as informed by fire department spokesperson Larry Langford. Found in the home, it's unclear if equipped with a law-required carbon monoxide detector, commented Langford.
The presence of a carbon monoxide detector is crucial, as Larry Langford detailed, "A carbon monoxide detector will trip as low as 10 ppm, which would give you plenty of time to fix the situation and get out." Meanwhile, Peoples Gas spokesperson David Schwartz assured, through a statement to Chicago Sun-Times, "There is no reason to believe the cause of the issue is related to any our equipment."
In addition to the young victims, ABC7 Chicago reports that three other adults were also hospitalized as a precaution. "It's too much for me to process because I know them very well and they are a young family," Rhoda Maliet, a neighbor, told ABC7 Chicago, as the police rushed her out of the building that Maliet also lived in.
The incident brings to light the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure, especially during winter months when heating units are in extensive use. Larry Langford reminded that January is a peak time for fires and carbon monoxide incidents due to the extreme cold which pushes furnaces to run hard. The authorities continue to investigate the specific cause of the carbon monoxide leak in this devastating event that has afflicted the Albany Park community.
