East Cleveland police are investigating the exact cause of a CO poisoning case at an East 6th Street rental home that sent 14 people to the hospital.
newsnet5.com the rental home is owned by Marco Waller of Cleveland, and that the furnace had been repaired by a contractor a few days ago.
Waller and his fiancé' would give us an on camera interview, but said they have reported the incident to the police and have given investigators the name of the contractor.
East Cleveland does not have a law on the book that make CO detectors mandatory in rental units, however Cleveland will soon vote on the measure this coming March.
It's a law that is already in place in South Euclid and Richmond Heights.
Fourteen people—most of them children—were transported to hospitals Tuesday night after becoming ill from high carbon monoxide levels at a home in East Cleveland.
East Cleveland fire officials said 14 victims—11 children and three adults, including the mother and father—were taken to hospitals for treatment.
A family member at the scene told newsnet5.com that five of the victims were taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Fire Chief Wallace Clark said investigators were zeroing in on a leaky furnace, though the cause was still under investigation.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, headaches, nausea, weakness, shortness of breath, confusion and blurred vision.
A CO level of 35 parts per million is considered dangerous, and the levels in the home were well-above that measure, Walton said.
Meanwhile Cleveland Councilman Kevin Conwell is in support of the Cleveland law making CO detectors in rental units mandatory. Conwell believes the measure will save lives.
