Philadelphia, PA – A restaurant and apartments in Chinatown were evacuated Sunday evening after high carbon monoxide readings were reported, Philadelphia fire officials said.
The source of the colorless, odorless gas appeared to be a smoldering Peco Energy Co. underground transformer near the building at 915 Race St. A Peco spokesman would say only that the utility cut service to the area after a report of “smoking wires in a manhole.”
Residents were later permitted to reenter the building.
The incident came one day after 14 people were injured, two critically, when carbon monoxide emitted by a generator in a Norristown rowhome reached lethal levels.