Paramedics responded to a mass casualty at Umbilo Secondary School, south of Durban, on Thursday after numerous children experienced breathing difficulties.
Garrith Jamieson of ALS Paramedics said pupils complained after an unknown gas permeated the air shortly after 10am, possibly from a neighbouring company, carried by a breeze.
“Initial reports were that multiple learners were suffering difficulty in breathing due to some sort of gas in the air. We are unsure where this gas or chemical smell is coming from.”
There are a number of industrial companies operating in the south Durban region of Bluff and Wentworth.
School management took a decision to evacuate and close the school.
Jamieson said paramedics assessed the pupils and about 20 were treated and would be taken to hospital.
He said the fire department was also present to ensure the school was safe for emergency responders.
TimesLIVE
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