Seventeen children and five adults were taken to a Winnipeg hospital on Friday after they inhaled fumes from a gas leak in a defective air conditioner at their school.
Emergency crews were called to Victor Mager School when students began complaining of sore throats and cramping.
Those affected were transported to hospital on specialized buses modified for use by emergency medical services. The children, ranging in age from 10 to 12, were assessed by a team of health care specialists on each bus and then treated at the emergency department at Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital.
An additional 17 children were released in good condition from the school after assessment by paramedics.
Almost everybody affected was given the all clear, with some children discharged to their families. Six children were kept for observation.
Inhaling products of combustion can cause increased respiratory rate, coughing and chest pain.
