Mount Pleasant, MI – A night at a theater in Mount Pleasant took a dangerous turn Wednesday night.
Dozens of people were hospitalized after a carbon monoxide leak. More than 30 people were sent to nearby hospitals after being exposed to the harmful gas.
The carbon monoxide leak happened at the Broadway Theatre in Mount Pleasant. It started as a quiet night of rehearsal for many people when two kids started getting sick.
After that, we’re told by the friends of the Broadway Theatre in Mount Pleasant that high levels of carbon monoxide began making many others feel similar symptoms.
The two children started vomiting around 8:30 Wednesday night during a rehearsal for “A Celebration of Christmas”.
Other adults inside also say they started to feel sick.
In total, around 70 to 80 people were in and out of the theatre for rehearsal.
Out of that number, about 30 people went to McLaren Central Michigan emergency room, while about eight others went to the emergency room at Mid-Michigan Medical Center-Gratiot in Alma.
Blood tests say many of them, including the two kids, revealed exposure to carbon monoxide.
The Mount Pleasant fire department says they found about high levels of the scentless gas at about 80 parts per million.
According to the U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission, that’s ten parts higher than the level that will make people sick.
DTE has cut gas off and believes one of two furnaces might be behind the leak.
We’ll keep working throughout the day to bring you more details both on-air and online.