One person is dead and eight others hospitalized Tuesday morning after they were overcome by fumes from household chemicals in Orland Park.
Six firefighters were among those hospitalized after the incident in the 10300 block of Hilltop Drive. Firefighters and paramedics first at the scene encountered high levels of unknown fumes.
Apparently, an industrial-strength drain cleaner was mixed with other household chemicals, Orland Park Fire Protection District Chief Donald Bettenhausen said.
"We still don't know what it is," Bettenhausen said.
Orland Park police Cmdr. Chuck Doll said it appears to be a household accident. Three adults were in the house when the Fire Department received a call about 8 a.m. about a person having trouble breathing.
The injured were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights and Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has been notified of the fatality as of 10:33 a.m. An unidentified man was pronounced dead at 8:55 a.m. at Palos Community Hospital, according to a medical examiners office spokeswoman.
The man who died was reportedly pouring some type of cleaner down the drain when he became unresponsive, the medical examiners office spokeswoman said. The identity and age of the man were not immediately available.
Copyright 2006, Chicago Sun-Times Inc.
