Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Yonkers building evacuated after chemical scare; 6 people sick
AP ^ | May 16, 2002, 11:08 PM EDT | JIM FITZGERALD

Posted on 05/16/2002 8:34:34 PM PDT by Jean S

YONKERS, N.Y. --

A four-story apartment building was evacuated Thursday night after six residents who ate together became ill because of what authorities feared was cyanide contamination.

"They thought it was cyanide," said Susan Tolchin, a spokeswoman for Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano. "Then they thought it was food poisoning. They don't know what it is. They really don't know."

The six people, all from an apartment on the building's top floor, were taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center; two were in critical condition and the others were stable, hospital spokesman Nicholas DeRobertis said.

The two critical patients were unconscious and on life support, Mayor John Spencer said.

The other residents of the 18-apartment building were taken to a nearby parish hall.

There were "some other people" in the apartment with the victims who did not get sick, and health officials were leaning toward a cause that was food related and was not airborne, Spencer said.

"Some did not eat," he said, "and they're all right."

The FBI and state terrorism officials were helping local police with the investigation "due to the sensitivity of it and the times we live in," the mayor said.

The contaminant was "some sort of poison ... possibly cyanide," he said.

Police Commissioner Charles Cola said the victims' conditions deteriorated very quickly, not typical for food poisoning victims, leading him to believe "it was some kind of chemical they ingested."

He said police were trying to find out "what food it was, how it got there and what was in it."

The hospital's emergency room was quarantined briefly as a precaution. It was tested, deemed safe and reopened.

Police officers, firefighters and hazardous-materials teams surrounded the Nepperhan Avenue building after the 8 p.m. evacuation. No other buildings were affected, but nearby streets were cordoned off.

Police said they didn't know if the people in the apartment were related.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

1 posted on 05/16/2002 8:34:34 PM PDT by Jean S
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JeanS
Food poisoning. That makes more sense.

But it doesn't mean a cyanide attack couldn't happen.

2 posted on 05/16/2002 8:37:06 PM PDT by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JeanS
Okay, it's beginning to sound like a case of poison in the food, not a big terrorist attack. No mention in this story about people in the hospital getting sick, as others have said. I guess we'll know more tomorrow. Good night.
3 posted on 05/16/2002 8:39:26 PM PDT by jimtorr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kevin Curry
Police Commissioner Charles Cola said the victims' conditions deteriorated very quickly, not typical for food poisoning victims, leading him to believe "it was some kind of chemical they ingested."
4 posted on 05/16/2002 8:40:51 PM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
Yes, food poisoning as we think of it does not cause respiratory failure, but vomiting and diarrhea. It also does not put people on vents.

So this was chemical food poisoning.

5 posted on 05/16/2002 8:44:24 PM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
People don't die in a couple hours from food poisoning unless it is botulism,,remember why we check canned foods for dents and discard the dented cans, that is a sign of botulinum toxiin in the food. Happens with home canned foods. This sounds like a bad toxin,,maybe strychnine or cyanide or even bad mushrooms. I wonder if someone at the party wanted to poison someone there. I sure hope this isn't terrorism. BTW anyone know if any of the victims were named Mohammed, not that I am profiling or anything.
6 posted on 05/16/2002 8:44:58 PM PDT by cajungirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MarMema
I do remember reading about a family poisoned by home canning/botulinism that was found dead still seated at the dinner table.
7 posted on 05/16/2002 8:45:31 PM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: JeanS
Wonder if it's possible that these are some of the people who stole the chemicals in Mexico and were working with it. Perhaps they handled the food before or while it was being prepared. They don't say who the people are.
8 posted on 05/16/2002 8:45:44 PM PDT by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MarMema
People with cyanide poisoning smell like almonds,,their breath does. So ER docs when suspecting cyanide always smell the victims. I wonder what they ate,,keep thinking of some home picked mushrooms.
9 posted on 05/16/2002 8:47:29 PM PDT by cajungirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MarMema
Botulism from improperly processed foods certainly does cause respiratory failure as well as other severe neurological symptoms.But it takes a while to develop,so it wouldn't hit six people at the same time.
10 posted on 05/16/2002 8:47:46 PM PDT by steamroller
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
Some posters on the older threads were mentioning hearing Egyptian nationals who had recently come here from Egypt actually.
11 posted on 05/16/2002 8:48:21 PM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: cajungirl
In another thread someone said their news station was reporting the victims were Egyptians who had just recently come from/returned from a trip to the Middle East.
12 posted on 05/16/2002 8:48:55 PM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: cajungirl
I have a friend in Cincinnati who told me there was a death from Legionnaire's Disease last night or this morning. Isn't it strange how none of these things individually cause a twinge of curiosity, but added together....
13 posted on 05/16/2002 8:48:56 PM PDT by Fracas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
Any idea what effects botulism would have?
14 posted on 05/16/2002 8:49:46 PM PDT by Free Trapper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MarMema
Scary huh! I have read that and that is why I hate to eat other people's home canning. And if it is in a jar the jar can't dent so I really hate that!!
15 posted on 05/16/2002 8:49:51 PM PDT by cajungirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: cajungirl
From info on the other thread, here, it seems people in this apartment are Egyptian Nationals who just recently returned from a trip to Egypt, if that helps any...
16 posted on 05/16/2002 8:50:33 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: steamroller
A good dose of it can hit in a few hours. As I said there was the one family with the canned corn who was found still seated at the dinner table.

Hint -> I do this for a living. Microbiology.

17 posted on 05/16/2002 8:50:38 PM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: cajungirl
keep thinking of some home picked mushrooms.

An EXCELLENT theory; wish I'd thought of it.

It happens a LOT, particularly with recent immigrants....they're unfamiliar with North American mushrooms, and some of our incredibly poisonous ones look exactly like edible ones from Europe or other countries.

18 posted on 05/16/2002 8:50:40 PM PDT by John H K
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: cajungirl
me too. It's the training. We threw out a ton of pickles that were home canned someone gave us, cause they fizzed when we opened them. Big bubbles come rising to the top, and I was across that room so fast taking that jar away from my kids. LOL.
19 posted on 05/16/2002 8:53:33 PM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson