NH hotel reopens day after boiler room toxic-gas leak sickened 2 workers, 9 guests by the pool

NH hotel reopens day after gas leak sickened 11

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A New Hampshire hotel has reopened after a faulty boiler room vent leaked enough toxic gas to sicken 11 people and prompt an evacuation.

The Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Portsmouth was closed Monday morning after two workers and nine guests hanging out near the pool were overcome by potentially lethal carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas created when gasoline, oil, wood or propane is burned.

Most of the sickened people were treated at a hospital and released by Monday afternoon. The last was released Tuesday.

Hotel spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne (TRENCH’-mahn-tayn) says engineers and firefighters repaired the vent and monitored air at the hotel before it reopened Tuesday afternoon.

The hotel has installed detectors to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which causes about 300 deaths a year nationwide.