12 Hospitalized After Exposure to Suspicious Odor at Hotel

Twelve people exposed to a suspicious odor at a hotel in Palo Alto were hospitalized Thursday night.

Palo Alto fire officials responded to the Westin Hotel on El Camino Real to a report of a suspicious odor coming from the hotel’s parking garage.

A hazardous materials team was called to the hotel, but investigators were not able to determine the cause of the irritant, according to fire officials.

The scene was cleared shortly after midnight, and fire officials said it appears the irritant was vented out of the garage and had dissipated.

Eight patients were transported to Stanford Medical Center, and four patients were transported to El Camino Hospital for treatment, officials said.

Hotel guests were asked to shelter in place while hazardous materials teams from Palo Alto and Mountain View investigated the incident.

Fire officials first reported the incident Thursday 10:37 p.m.

--Bay City News Service, photo courtesy of the Palo Alto Fire Department