Moments of fear this morning at the Liceo Statale Marconi in Pescara, evacuated due to the leakage of an irritant substance which caused respiratory problems for around 50 people. Of these, 6 – including students and school staff – were hospitalized, while the rest were cared for on site.
The alarm went off at 8.11am, shortly after lessons started. According to the first testimonies, a pungent and annoying smell immediately alarmed students and teachers.
They told us there was an unbreathable substance in the air. Initially we thought it was a fire. Then I saw the boys come out. Some had tears in their eyes from breathing the air – said one student.
The school immediately activated the protocol for major emergencies, with the intervention of the firefighters, 118, the Province and the Municipality of Pescara.
The Pescara Local Health Authority has set up an Advanced Medical Post outside the institute, with three 118 doctors, three nurses and twenty first aiders.
There were around fifty children who had problems and irritation in the airways and respiratory tracts with an increase in breathing rate. – explained the director of 118 in Pescara, Aurelio Soldano – Of these, 5 were hospitalized in the emergency room in Pescara and one in the hospital in Chieti. Six people in total, 5 students and one technical staff person. I confirm that everyone is well and are green codes with oxygen therapy and do not cause any concern.
What happened?
Initial reconstructions indicate that the substance responsible for the intoxication could be ammonia, coming from a school laboratory or from the air conditioning system. But investigations are underway by Arta and the firefighters to clarify the exact origin of the leak, the type of substance inhaled and assess any responsibilities.
To protect the safety of students and staff, the deputy mayor of Pescara, Maria Rita Carota, signed an order immediately closing the high school for the entire day, underlining the existence of a concrete danger to the health and safety of students, teachers and staff, deriving from the anomalous emission, and the need for urgent investigations to prevent risks to public safety.
