At least 34 people, including 30 children, were injured after inhaling cleaning chemical fumes in a school in Jerusalem, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority announced on Thursday.
Magen David Adom said that injured students and staff members were treated on the scene before being taken to the Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Medical Centers.
Hadassah Medical Center said that it was treating 17 children and four staff members, all of whom were in light condition except for two children in moderate condition.
Incident comes after cleaning chemicals mixed improperly
United Hatzalah said the incident likely occurred after cleaning chemicals were mixed, including chlorine and acid.
“This is a complex incident involving hazardous materials,” the IFRA incident commander said.
“At this stage, we have instructed Israel Police to keep the school closed until tomorrow, in order to conduct further environmental testing. Firefighters have conducted comprehensive monitoring of the building, and so far, no hazardous levels have been detected. Nevertheless, additional testing will be required to ensure a safe return to the school’s regular routine. The incident is now fully under control,” he added.
