BEACH PARK, Ill. -- Plumes of a toxic gas that leaked in a northern Chicago suburb Thursday morning sent at least 37 people to hospitals and prompted an order for residents to stay locked inside their homes with windows shut tight, officials said.
Lake Forest Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate two-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred around 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but Covelli later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released.
"This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconscious and worst-case scenario death," Covelli said. The first two officers who responded to the leak had to retreat because they were overcome by the ammonia, Covelli said.