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Strand Bookstore Evacuated After Customers Start Coughing, Officials Say

By Ben Fractenberg | September 17, 2014 8:13am
 The Strand Bookstore was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after about two-dozen customers started coughing and their throats felt irritated.
The Strand Bookstore was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after about two-dozen customers started coughing and their throats felt irritated.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

GREENWICH VILLAGE — The Strand Bookstore was evacuated for more than half an hour Tuesday after people standing near the front entrance started coughing uncontrollably, according to FDNY officials and a store manager. 

An unknown substance was possibly emitted about 4:30 p.m. causing the coughing and throat irritation, the officials said. About 100 people were evacuated from the three-floor store for half an hour during the afternoon while the fire department's Haz-Mat unit tested the air quality.

“People were coughing. They couldn’t really smell anything,” manager Liz Deveau-Tan said. “I think that’s what stressed people out.” 

All of the two-dozen people who were affected refused medical attention at the scene and no one was transported to the hospital, according to fire officials

“We did not find anything out of the ordinary,” Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan said after the air quality tests were completed and the store was reopened.

Sheridan added that they were not sure what led to the irritation, but said it possibly could have been a substance like pepper spray that was accidentally released by a customer.

Shoppers reentered the store at about 5 p.m.

“What was really nice, the customers stayed the whole time,” Deveau-Tan said.