Two people were hospitalized after becoming sick while at a Marshalls store located at Farmington’s Hannaford shopping center on Saturday.
At around 11:21 a.m., the Farmington Fire Department responded to the store after shoppers reported feeling ill and the smell of propane gas. When officials arrived, the store was evacuated.
The gas supply was shut down, and the building was checked for any gas leaks. A low level of propane was detected, according to the Farmington Fire Department. The rest of the building, including the adjacent Rent-A-Center store, was checked for gas leaks, but none were detected.
Fire crews also checked the HVAC units to the building, and continued to monitor the building to ensure there were no risks to the public.
Emergency responders assessed nine people at the scene that complained they felt sick while at the store, and two of those people were transported to a local hospital.
According to the fire department, gas leak concerns had been reported at that location on Thursday and Friday. No gas leaks were detected either of those days.
As of Saturday, the Farmington Fire Department announced that the fire chief recommended that Marshalls and Rent-A-Center close until the cause of the issue is resolved. Both stores are working with the property manager to ensure that they can reopen safely, and town and state officials have been notified of the ongoing concerns.
The Hannaford Supermarket will remain open.