6 Injured Downtown & Wacker Drive Building Evacuated After Rooftop Chlorine Leak

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 13, 2017 4:35PM

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Six people were injured, a building was evacuated and a portion of downtown Wacker Drive was closed on Friday morning after a rooftop chlorine leak led to a HazMat situation, according to reports and fire officials.

The HazMat situation had been upgraded to a level two at 77 W. Wacker Dr., the Chicago Fire Department tweeted at around 10: 25 a.m. on Friday morning. Six people were taken to hospitals, CFD said at around 10:48 a.m. The situation had been secured by around 11:04 a.m., CFD said.

Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford confirmed to Chicagoist that the HazMat situation stemmed from a chlorine leak.

The situation began a little before 10 a.m. when chlorine and acid were accidentally mixed on the rooftop of 77 W Wacker, a Loop office tower and the former United building, another CFD spokesperson, Larry Merritt, told the Sun-Times.

Wacker Drive was closed in both directions between LaSalle and Clark, according to CBS.

The six people were in fair to serious condition, the Sun-Times reports. Five were taken to Northwestern and one was taken to Rush Medical Center with respiratory related issues, a Chicago police spokesperson told Chicagoist. One person at the scene refused medical treatment, CFD said.