One person has been killed and 27 taken to hospital following a carbon monoxide leak at a New York restaurant.
The fatality was the manager of a sea food restaurant in a mall in the Long Island town of Huntington Station, Suffolk County police said in a statement.
Police and local fire department personnel rushed to the Legal Sea Food restaurant at the mall early on Saturday evening responding to a report that woman had fallen and hit her head in the restaurant basement.
When the emergency personnel arrived they quickly "felt nauseous and dizzy and recognised it as a carbon monoxide event," the statement read.
Police evacuated the restaurant and found the 55 year-old manager, identified as Steven Nelson, unconscious in the basement. He was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The 27 other victims, including four ambulance personnel and three police officers, were taken to area hospitals "with non-life threatening symptoms."
Most of the victims were restaurant workers.
"The investigation is focusing on the restaurant's heating equipment," the statement read, adding that homicide and arson squad detectives "are investigating the case."
Although the carbon monoxide leak seemed to be confined to the restaurant basement, two nearby restaurants were also evacuated.
Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless gas that can be toxic to humans and animals.
In a Twitter message, the Legal Sea Foods company said they were "profoundly saddened" to learn about Nelson's death. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," the message read.
