Six sickened, one taken to hospital due to unidentified odor at Sherman Oaks Galleria
One person was taken to the hospital and five others suffered minor symptoms from an irritant in the air Monday at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
Firefighters responded to complaints of an odor at the shopping mall around 9:15 a.m. Six people described having watery eyes and a scratchy throat, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert. Fire officials did not disclose if the victims were shoppers or mall employees.
One person was transported to a hospital; the other five declined after being assessed by paramedics.
Los Angeles Fire Department hazardous materials specialists tested the building and were not able to identify the source of the odor, according to the alert.
“Initial readings are not showing any significant hazard, but the irritant has yet to be positively identified,†the alert said.
Tests for flammable and toxic irritants came back negative. The odor is believed to have been caused by a cleaning product, according to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange.
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