Two people were killed and 12 others were injured by carbon monoxide poisoning Saturday afternoon at a recording studio in a New Jersey town.
Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco said that police responded to a 911 call at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday from Streets Rehearsal Studio. Thirty-nine-year-old Noel Korman and 29-year-old Alice Park, both of Clifton, were found on the second floor of the studio, located in a converted factory building.
The other 12 victims "experienced confusion and were choking" as they tried to leave the mixed-use commercial building, he said. They are being treated at local hospitals.
"This is a sad day for the city of Passaic," said Blanco, who praised emergency personnel for their rapid response to the initial report.
"If it wasn't for their quickness, there would be more fatalities tonight," the mayor said.
The county prosecutor's office is investigating the cause of the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Keith Furlong, the spokesman for the city of Passaic, told The Record newspaper that mixed-use commercial buildings are not required to have carbon monoxide detectors.
The studio's website says it opened in 1994, offers 300-400 square foot studios that offer "the serious musician a secure sanctuary in which to hone their craft."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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