Mysterious odor in Trenton apartments leads to evacuation
TRENTON » One of the first residents at a city apartment building to smell the potent odor had a bad reaction.
“It hit me in the back of my throat,” the 660 Centre Street apartment resident said Saturday morning. “I started coughing, crying and sneezing and stuff. I couldn’t get it out.”
Several other residents had the same reaction to the nauseating gas at the apartment building and first responders were called to the scene at approximately 10 a.m.
The building that houses one-to-three bedroom apartments was then ordered evacuated by fire officials.
At the scene, Trenton Fire Battalion Chief Todd Fell said no toxic gases were indicated from testing, but he did confirm numerous residents complained of the smell that caused them to suffer from teary eyes and coughing.
“Nobody went to the hospital,” Fell said. “All refused medical treatment.”
The fire official said at 11:30 a.m. Saturday that the building was still being ventilated and that emergency responders would reassess the situation later to let occupants back into the building.
Firefighters were equipped with oxygen tanks inside the building.
About a dozen residents were standing across the street from the building after being evacuated.
Many described the odor as “thick.” “It wasn’t just a weird smell that was bothering some people,” one resident said. “It made you cough and cry.” Property managers who were also out on the scene declined comment about the situation.
The building used to house the former Mott school.
One resident who had lived in the building for two years said she recalled one evacuation previously but it turned out to be collard greens. The building was also evacuated when gas pipes were being replaced outside by PSE&G on the 600 block of Centre Street, but that incident was not related to the apartment structure.