A chemical spill in Illinois sends 37 people to the hospital, 7 of which in critical condition

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A preliminary investigation revealed that containers containing anhydrous ammonia were towed by a tractor on Green Bay Road to Beach Park, a village north of Chicago, Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.

Anhydrous ammonia, a colorless gas with pungent fumes, can cause unconsciousness and even death in case of inhalation. The chemical is commonly used by farmers as agricultural fertilizer, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The spill created a plume of chemical smoke, Covelli said.

People transported to hospitals had problems with inhalation, the The Lake County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter Account. Some were released, but seven were in critical condition, including a firefighter, Covelli told CNN.

A sheriff's sergeant, his deputy, a Zion policeman and 11 firefighters Some of the people who responded to the scene and inhaled the vapors are in the hospital, said the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The leak has since been contained, said Mike Gallo of the Lake Forest Fire Department. Officials monitor the plume and advise anyone within a kilometer radius of the spill to stay indoors with the windows closed and keep the air conditioning and heating off.

The oil spill also resulted in the closure of several Beach Park schools, police said.

The on-site shelter request for Beach Park has been lifted, the Lake County County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday morning on Twitter. Door-to-door checks were carried out to ensure that no one was in medical distress at home, the sheriff's office said.

Melissa Alonso of CNN contributed to this report.

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