Odor Causes Illness at Md. Giant Store

Montgomery County authorities were called to a Giant Supermarket in Bethesda where a number of people fell ill Tuesday afternoon after smelling a strange odor in the store.

Fire officials say the reports first came in around 1:20 p.m. from the Giant Supermarket on Tuckerman Lane after a strong odor of gas was reported in the store. A total of 14 people were evaluated at the scene, some of them Giant employees and some customers. They claimed to be feeling sick, and some said they were having trouble breathing.

According to Montgomery County fire officials, six people were taken to area hospitals. The source of the smell is still unknown, though a Hazmat team investigated. Maintenance crews in the Giant store were checking to see if there could have been a Freon leak in the cooling system.

The store was evacuated, as were five other nearby businesses and restaurants.

The Montgomery County Health Department was also on the scene, making sure all of the food in the store was safe for sale after the incident.