ROSEMONT, Ill. — Investigators are trying to determine how chlorine got into a stairwell at a suburban Chicago hotel during the Midwest Furfest convention, forcing people dressed in brightly colored rabbit, fox and dragon costumes to evacuate the building and take refuge in a convention center. The event celebrates animals that are anthropomorphic, meaning they've been given human characteristics.
Here are some answers to questions about the incident:
WHAT HAPPENED?
Just after midnight Sunday, attendees at FurFest at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont smelled chlorine spreading across the ninth floor. Emergency workers were called and the hotel was evacuated as attendees on the lower floors and in the lobby said they smelled chlorine too. Nineteen people who became dizzy or nauseous were taken to hospitals. There were no reports of serious health problems and the hospitals said people were treated and released. Crews decontaminated the building and people were allowed back inside after a few hours.
WHAT ARE INVESTIGATORS DOING?
The Rosemont Public Safety Department launched a criminal investigation after discovering what appeared to be powdered chlorine in a stairwell and quickly determining that whoever put it there most likely did so intentionally. The department has declined to answer questions about the incident.
HOW CAN CHLORINE MAKE PEOPLE SICK?
Chlorine is a vital chemical used in a range of products, including pharmaceuticals and disinfectants. Therese Cirone, vice president of health, environment and safety at The Chlorine Institute, says that while chlorine does not in itself exist as a powder, there are powdered products that contain it. If such a product comes in contact with water or even moisture in the air, it could create chlorine gas. Being exposed to chlorine for an extended period of time or at high concentrations could trigger dizziness or nausea, make breathing difficult or worse. But if concentrations are low, those problems go away when people leave the area and breathe fresh air.
