Chicago Subway Smoke?
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:08 pm
It's on the cable newschannels now. Subways have been shut down and people have been evacuated. No cause for it found yet.
Chicago firefighters are responding to a possible fire on a CTA train downtown.
A police News Affairs spokeswoman said firefighters first responded to a call for smoke coming from a CTA train about 5:08 p.m. in the 200 block of North Clark.
Spokeswoman Ibis Antongiorgi says emergency crews are checking on a cause.
She says there aren't reports of flames, just smoke.
Chicago police and fire personnel are responding at a number of locations.
CBS 2's Kris Habermehl was overhead in Chopper 2 at Clinton and Fulton in the near West Loop as Blue Line riders were being evacuated from the underground tunnels and coming out of a street-level hatch. It was one of several locations where people were being evacuated from dark and smoke-filled conditions.
Approximately 20 ambulances have been dispatched to Clinton and Fulton.
It is not known how many people may have been injured. Emergency personnell are stationed at Clinton and Fulton, Grand and Milwaukee, Kinzie and Milwuakee, LaSalle and Lake, and Lake and Clark.
Many riders emerged from the tunnels with apparent respiratory distress and soot and dirt staining their clothing. Oxygen tanks are on the scene to help those suffering from apparent smoke inhalation.
Dozens of people are on the street. Some are on stretchers while others are on stair chairs and being taken for treatment.
Blue Line service between the Damen and Washington stations have been suspended as of 5:25 p.m., according to the Chicago Transit Authority's Web site.
That Chicago Transit rail line connects downtown to O'Hare International Airport.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local ... 83214.html
