The Region : 7 Felled Briefly by Fumes

Seven persons, including a California Highway Patrol officer, were briefly overcome by fumes from an unknown chemical that spilled out and exploded on the Foothill Freeway at Arrow Highway in San Dimas, officials reported. A five-pound drum fell off the back of a truck in a southbound lane, according to a county Fire Department spokeswoman, and exploded when it hit the pavement. A car traveling behind the truck hit the drum and went off the road, she added. Its two male passengers were uninjured. However, the two men as well as a CHP officer and four others who had stopped soon complained of difficulty breathing and skin irritations due to the chemical fumes. All were treated and released at San Dimas Community Hospital.