Sunnyside Hospital decontaminated after radiation exposure

Radiation exposure at Sunnyside Hospital

Police in Sunnyside asked the public to avoid the city's hospital on Sunday after multiple patients who were exposed to radiation at a construction site showed up to the ER.

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. - The Astria Sunnyside Hospital in Yakima County was decontaminated after multiple people who were possibly exposed to radiation showed up to the emergency room on Sunday.

According to the Sunnyside Fire Department, six individuals entered the ER, expressing concerns over potential radiation exposure at a job site in Benton County.

The six patients were escorted to an isolated area of the hospital's parking lot, and multiple state and city agencies were contacted to mitigate any possible radiation exposure.

Sunnyside Police asked the public to avoid the hospital and told residents near the area to stay in their homes as they dealt with the hazmat incident.

Sunnyside Fire says no harmful levels of hazardous materials were detected in the patients or hospital.

The Sunnyside Hospital resumed operations after the decontamination process. Sunnyside Fire Chief Haubrich says there is no indication that any unsafe materials were introduced to the hospital or surrounding community.

It's currently unknown what construction site the six patients were working at. Police said it is not the Hanford Site.