Pittsburgh-Area Hotel Rat Poison-Related Evacuation: Latest Info

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA — Residents of the extended stay InTown Suites on McKnight Road are back in their units after being evacuated Monday due to an incident involving rat poison.

Seven people were taken to the hospital and four more were treated at the scene for exposure to the rodenticide. Allegheny County HAZMAT, Ross Police and Ross-West View EMS responded to the scene.

Ross Deputy Police Chief Brian Kolhepp told several media outlets that InTown Suites had placed rat bait traps outside the building. When the pesticide got wet from rain, it created a gas that can be dangerous to humans.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, that gas, phosphine, may cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, thirst, muscle pain, difficulty breathing, and fluid in the lungs. Higher exposures and long-term exposure may cause serious harm.