Costco in Hazlet, NJ closes after leak sickens dozens of workers

HAZLET — A Costco store remained closed Wednesday, after a freon leak spurred the evacuation of about 20 workers who reported feeling sick.

Before 7 a.m., the Costco location along Route 35 had reported the leak to Hazlet police, as workers tried to ventilate the store and delay opening for the day.

About two and a half hours later, police got another call from the same Costco, saying about 20 employees were reporting headaches and nausea.

Hazlet fire and first aid squad members responded, along with Monmouth County EMS Task Force and the Monmouth County Hazmat Team, with 15 to 20 ambulances called to the scene as a precaution.

The store was to stay closed until further notice, according to police on the department's Facebook page.

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Different, unexpected closure

In a completely unrelated incident, a different retail location was dealing with an unexpected closure up in Union County.

A Walmart in Linden had posted a sign to its doors on Tuesday, saying the store was closed for "additional cleaning and stocking" and would reopen at 6 a.m. Thursday.

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