Gas Leak Evacuates Local Nursing Home
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Senior citizens are evacuated from a Midland Empire Nursing home after staff members discover a gas leak. Wathena Healthcare and Rehabilitative Center employees smelled gas around 5:30 p.m. The Wathena Fire Department arrived shortly after and evacuated 49 residents and several staff members. Firefighters feared the heat was dangerous and brought them to a nearby lutheran church. The gas company investigated the leak no word on where it was. A green light was given to bus and wheel residents back into the center around 9:00 p.m. night. Wathena Fire Department Member Bob Ryser said, "It didn`t turn out as bad as it could have the biggest problem was after we got them outside with the heat involved. We`re really lucky we had this church so close it could have been a lot worse if we wouldn`t have had a place to take the patients." Four patients at Heartland Regional Medical Center are still being evaluated in the emergency room. Eleven residents taken to Highland Care Center will be kept over night for observation.
