The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SIXTEEN people employed at the BAF Financial & Insurance Building on Queen’s Highway were evacuated after some persons fell ill and had to be rushed to hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency crews, including police, fire officials as well as an official at the Department of Environmental Health rushed to the scene after police received a call around noon about a “foul odour” in the building.

EMS personnel took six persons to the Rand Memorial Hospital. The Tribune contacted the deputy hospital administrator about their condition, but the official was unavailable for comment.

Police Supt Hilton Cash reported that Police Fire Services received a call at 12.15pm about a foul odour inside the BAF Building and went to investigate.

“The employees were evacuated from the building and some persons were ill and transported to RMH,” he told The Tribune at the scene.

The call came in during the lunch rush hour on Queen’s Highway, where many commercial and light manufacturing/industrial businesses are located. Two fire units, two ambulances, and police vehicles were on the scene, and attracted the attention of motorists travelling the busy causeway.

An eye witness at the scene said: “Three persons were put into each ambulance, and some of them looked very faint and had to be assisted inside the ambulance.”

Bertha McPhee-Duncanson, chief inspector at the DEHS, was also at the scene to evaluate the situation.

“I noticed that there was a strong smell coming from the building; it smelled like burning rubber but we don’t know for sure what it is and we can’t confirm anything at this point,” she said.

According to Ms Duncanson, 16 persons work at BAF Financial and Insurance. The six persons who became ill were de-contaminated at the scene before they were taken to hospital for assessment, she said.

“We don’t know what these persons were exposed to. We have spoken with the manager to try and determine what could have happened, whether any cleaning agents were used prior to the incident, or if any work had been done on the air-conditioning unit,” she said.

She said that officials will inspect the building to make certain it is safe before allowing anyone to go back inside.