Cooke

Elevated levels of carbon monoxide forced numerous people out of an area on Carleton Street in uptown Saint John.

The Saint John Fire Department, Saint John Police and other emergency responders were called to the Cooke Inc. building on Friday afternoon after reports of a leak.

Vice-President of Public Relations at Cooke Inc., Joel Richardson, told our newsroom in an email that they evacuated their three-story Cooke Inc. office building on Carleton Street and called 911 when some employees suddenly felt ill and complained of headaches. 

“The building had elevated carbon monoxide levels, which appeared to be from a furnace connection malfunction. Liberty Gas was on site to help resolve the issue,” Richardson explained.

In the email, Richardson also stated paramedics treated 22 people, and Saint John Transit transported several to the regional hospital for further medical examination and care.

“We expect all the impacted individuals will be released tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.”

The building is expected to reopen for regular hours on Monday.