45 transported to hospitals as temperatures hit 106 degrees
A crowd of thousands gathered Thursday afternoon at the Reading & Blue Mountain Railroad Outer Station in Muhlenberg Township to see Big Boy, the world’s largest steam-powered locomotive, which is currently on tour for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, United Press International reported.
Berks County 911 began receiving calls about 1:30 p.m., and ambulances and firefighters from surrounding counties were summoned to assist, authorities said.
More than 100 people were treated for heat-related maladies. Forty-five of those were transported to local hospitals. One patient went into cardiac arrest but was resuscitated before being transported to a hospital, officials said.
Officials said children and the elderly made up the majority of those affected.
Big Boy rolled through the station around 2:30 p.m. before continuing on toward Philadelphia.