14 hospitalized after carbon monoxide scare at Tennessee hotel

An investigation is still ongoing in Tennessee following a carbon monoxide scare that forced the evacuation of a Nashville Hotel.

On Wednesday, 14 guests were hospitalized after they started to get sick from the exposure.

Authorities say the leak originated on the hotel's third floor near the pool and gym.

But because detectors are not required on floors where guests do not stay, the staff was not alerted to the situation until people fell ill.

"A normal reading for a safe level is 35 parts per million. At that point our readings were at 500 parts per million, which is the highest our tools can actually measure," said Joseph Pleasant, Nashville Fire Department.

Those who became sick are expected to make a full recovery.

Had the exposure happened in the middle of the night, authorities say the outcome could have been tragic.

Investigators are still searching for the cause of the leak.