A Southwest Philadelphia apartment complex was evacuated on Tuesday after a man was found dead and high levels of carbon monoxide were detected inside the building.
The Philadelphia Fire Department arrived at the building along the 4700 block of Chester Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and found the body of a man, later identified as Francis Horst.
Horst, who was in his 60's, was a longtime employee at Gables Bed and Breakfast, a restaurant located about a block away from his apartment. Cesar Gonzales, the owner of the restaurant, told NBC10 he checked on Horst when he didn't arrive to work on Tuesday and found him unresponsive inside the apartment.
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"When he didn't show up at work, I called him several times," Gonzales said. "And then I went to his apartment and found him dead in his chair and it was really cold."
Employees with a heating company detected high carbon monoxide levels inside the apartment complex. Tenants had also complained Monday about feeling sick and nauseous.
"Once they checked the building, they had reading levels as high as 275 parts per million," Philadelphia Fire Deputy Chief Charles Johnson said. "It should be zero."
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Officials have not yet revealed whether or not Horst died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Gonzales told NBC10 the victim had a mental disability and also suffered from diabetes.
The firefighters evacuated 13 residents from the building and notified multiple agencies, including Philadelphia Gas Works and the Office of Emergency Management. They continue to investigate.
