Daycare Carbon Monoxide Leak Sickens Children in Allentown, Pennsylvania

A carbon monoxide leak at a daycare in Pennsylvania has left 26 children and workers needing hospital treatment.

The incident occurred at Happy Smiles Learning Center in the 400 block of Wabash Street in Allentown, according to Captain John Christopher with the Allentown Fire Department.

Authorities received a 911 call on Tuesday morning after a child fell unconscious, local news station WFMZ reported.

When emergency services arrived at the scene, air quality detectors that firefighters were wearing on their gear went off. The building was then evacuated, with multiple children also showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

All 26 people, mainly children, were taken to four hospitals in the Lehigh Valley and are currently in stable condition. Parents of the children were notified of the incident, officials told WFMZ.

Following the evacuation, the children from the daycare were kept warm with blankets as the temperature dropped as low as 40 degrees, reported Lehigh Valley Live. Another nearby daycare opened up its facility for children to gather inside away from the cold.

Crew members from the UGI energy company were at the scene, but the source of the leak is unknown at this stage.

The incident was reported as a level 1 mass casualty incident, meaning hospitals and local emergency responders may struggle to deal with the number of patients.

The Allentown fire chief said other nearby fire departments and emergency responders are assisting with administrating aid.

Newsweek reached out to the Allentown Fire Department for an update on the incident.