(NewsNation) — Dozens of people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning Sunday at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel in central Utah.
A spokesperson for the Monroe East chapel told KSTU that 54 people in total reported symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, of which 49 were treated.
The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook the first call they responded to at the church was for a four-year-old girl who said she had breathing problems. Then, about an hour later, first responders were called back to the church for a man feeling sick, but thought he was having low blood sugar complications.
Another family reported having headaches when they got home, so the Monroe City Fire Department was called in to check the building. The fire department discovered high levels of carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff’s office said, and the building was evacuated.
That evening, several people said they felt ill and sought treatment at a local hospital. A total of 22 people needed to be transported to a hospital with a hyperbaric chamber, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said.
KSTU reports the church says the leak was caused by a malfunction in the building’s heating system. The exact cause of the malfunction is being investigated.
“The Church is working to support medical and other expenses for those affected. We are concerned for the well-being of everyone impacted and are praying for their recovery,” the statement said, according to KTSU.
