Sewickley Twp. 10 Taken To Hospital For Natural Gas Exposure
SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - Ten people were treated at local hospitals after being exposed to natural gas in Westmoreland County Monday night.
According to officials, residents on Shaner Lane in Sewickley Township smelled an odor of natural gas around 8:45 p.m.
Some of the residents began to experience headaches and nausea and went to hospital to be checked out.
Initially, they were concerned that a nearby gas well was leaking, but it was not the cause.
When officials arrived, they traced the leak to a propane truck that had been parked in a driveway on Kunkle Road since Friday. The truck only had about 10 gallons of propane left after it offloaded on Friday.
They say a valve was leaking and that allowed a small amount of gas to escape, but it was enough to cause the odor.
High temperatures combined with low wind kept the odor close to the ground and allowed it spread.
Four people were taken to Forbes Regional Hospital, while six went to UPMC East.
Propane never touched the ground so no cleanup was necessary.
Authorities tested the air quality and say at no point was it unsafe. They also tested inside of individual homes for lingering gas pockets but gave the all clear early this morning.
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