Four people fall ill at LAX airport from ‘apparent fume exposure’
Marnie Hunter, Cheri Mossburg and Gregory Wallace, CNN
Four people suddenly fell ill at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday from “apparent fume exposure,” according to an incident report from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The terminal was cleared of passengers due to a hazardous materials investigation, the airport tweeted on Monday.
Carbon dioxide from an unidentified source is cited in the LAFD report of the incident at the LAX Terminal 8 baggage area.
Three people are in “mild distress,” according to the report, while one person is listed in “grave condition.”
“Though no escalating or off-site hazard has been identified, an LAFD Hazardous Materials team has been assigned pursuant to protocol,” the alert posted online says.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for United Airlines as a result of the emergency. Terminal 8 primarily services United flights.
Terminal 8 remained close as of about 11:15 a.m. ET (8:15 a.m. PT), according to a tweet from the airport.
Passengers passing through security bound for Terminal 8 are being held in Terminal 7 after screening, Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lorie Dankers said.
Dankers said all TSA employees are OK, and the incident does not involve a TSA checkpoint.
“Please check with your airline for updates on flights,” LAX airport tweeted.
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Top image: A flight takes off from Los Angeles International Airport on July 30, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
