Students and teachers sickened by fumes at school
PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Several students and teachers were taken to the hospital after some kind of fumes got into William H. Loesche Elementary.
SkyFOX flew above the elementary school Friday afternoon on Bustleton Pike.
"The Philadelphia Fire Department were dispatched for a call of fumes--apparently there were some children who were getting sick," Philadelphia Fire Department Captain William Dixon said.
Officials say some students in a second grade class started to get sick and that's when they called the fire department and evacuated the school.
"We investigated and there were a few children who were sick and that's when we actually had to take and transport them to a local hospital," Captain Dixon said.
Soon after, the rest of that class, 26 students and 4 staff members were also taken to the hospital for observation. It was determined that those affected by the fumes had minimal exposure and some have already been released from the ER, according to officials.
As parents rushed to the school to pick up their kids, investigators determined the source of the fumes, believed to be carbon monoxide were coming from a generator that was being used to make repairs to the roof of the building.
Philadelphia School District spokesperson Lee Whack released the following statement reading in part:
"The school began communicating to parents shortly after the incident. A robocall was sent out to parents, a letter was sent home with students and information was posted on the school website."