Noxious fumes at Seekonk cafe send 5 to hospital
By Bill Tomison Published: July 29, 2016, 1:41 pm Updated: July 29, 2016, 8:00 pm
SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) — A Panera Bread in Seekonk is now closed after some sort of chemical leak — believed to be freon, or a refrigerant chemical — caused breathing problems for people inside the cafe.
Fire crews in Seekonk and East Providence were called to the cafe on Highland Avenue (Route 6) about 11:15 a.m. Friday for a hazmat or air quality issue inside. Seekonk’s fire chief, Michael Healy, told Eyewitness News it appeared to be a freon or chemical leak.
Employees helped customers clear out of the building. About 18 people had some issues breathing, the fire chief said, and some complained of skin irritation; in the end, five were transported to the hospital to get checked out.
The firefighters went into the building to check levels of fumes, but measurement meters showed no readings. The cafe closed while the issue was investigated by the company’s general maintenance crew. They’ll also need to sanitize surfaces, Chief Healy said, and discard any food that was potentially exposed.
Freon is a registered trademark for a type of gaseous or liquid chemical which has been used as refrigerants (for air conditioners) and aerosol propellants.