Prospect Park Closes After Ammonia Leak Sends 10 to Hospital

Residents complained of burning eyes and an inability to breathe Wednesday night following an ammonia leak at Lakeside rink’s LeFrak Center in Prospect Park.

A total of 10 people were hospitalized for inhalation related issues, nine of them firefighters.

FDNY arrived at the skating rink at roughly 9:15 p.m. Wednesday night, leaving at around 10 p.m., when the victims were transported to Park Slope’s Methodist Hospital.

Locals and commuters using the park that night took to social media to complain of the intense smell permeating the park, many believing it to be tear gas or a chemical spill. Some said they had trouble breathing, while others noted the smell went beyond the park.

The leak was identified as coming from a chilling system at the skating rink to keep the ice frozen.

The area was evacuated and the park closed following the incident Wednesday night, according to local witnesses. As of Thursday, Prospect Park is reopened, but the LeFrak center remains closed.

[Source: DNA | Photo: Lakeside]

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