A 13-year-old girl has died and 41 people were sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning, including 27 police officers in New New Jersey Thursday night.
The incident took place at an apartment building in Perth Amboy at approximately 4:00 p.m. according to multiple news sources.
Three people remained in critical condition as of late Thursday night, all of whom were related to the girl who died, according to CBS New York.
The incident took place during yesterday’s massive snowstorm and forced residents out into the blistering cold.
Officers worked their way through the building, evacuating all of the occupants, with some collapsing on the ground.
According to CBS New York, officers responded within 60 seconds, and barely made it there in time to save several occupants.
“They entered the building and found people unconscious in the hallway, started CPR and got occupants out of the building,” said Perth Amboy police Chie Roman McKeon.
Firefighters looking for the source said it may have been due to people using space heaters and alternative methods to keep warm during the storm.
First responders stress the importance of having working carbon monoxide detectors in every unit in every building.
