School in Germany evacuated and 38 children injured in 'chemical incident'
Emergency services in Germany triggered a "mass casualty incident" after students had to be evacuated from a high school building.
A school in Germany has been evacuated following a "chemical incident", with emergency services triggering a "mass casualty incident" as a result.
Firefighters, paramedics and police officers rushed in the early afternoon of March 21 to the 107 Oberschule Dresden, a high school in the Gruna district part of Dresden.
Local media reported the presence of an "irritant gas-like substance" inside the building, which injured several students.
Of the 38 youngsters affected by the incident, 32 were taken to hospital, the local fire department claimed, as they complained about breathing difficulties, coughing and watery eyes.
The nature of the substance and how the incident unfolded are not yet clear.
Fire department spokesman Michael Klahre told Radio Dresden: "We don’t yet know what exactly the substance was."
The substance may have been sprayed by unnamed individuals inside the building, prompting the emergency, the spokesman appeared to suggest.
Quoted by DNN, Mr Klahre also said: "Unknown people sprayed an irritating gas-like substance in the school building, which many children inhaled."
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There was an incident at a school in Dresden, Germany where several children suddenly developed breathing problems.
— Eyewitness news (@news_hub365) March 21, 2024
30 children were injured, 26 of them are hospitalized.
Unknown persons had sprayed an irritant gas-like substance in the school building.
No arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/6EPd5hFakO
The emergency services' operation came to an end at around 2pm GMT (3pm local time) after emergency services were able to assist all those evacuated and affected by the incident.
As a result of the large operation, which sees many vehicles of emergency services near the school and the creation of an area to be used by professionals supporting people evacuated, the publication reported traffic delays.
Police have launched an investigation into grievous bodily harm, German news outlet Bild wrote.