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SMOKED OUT
1/30/2010
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Nation News |
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A GRASS FIRE near Lester Vaughan School caused a mass casualty situation there yesterday.
Fourteen students were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) for smoke inhalation and wheezing, while several others were treated on the scene for various complaints. Four ambulances responded to the situation.
Principal Diana Wilson said she was forced to close school around the luncheon period, because the smoke was affecting a lot of her charges.
"With so many asthmatics at the school, it's a big problem for us. We had an ambulance that came for one child, and in a matter of seconds we had about ten children collapsing," Wilson said.
In short time public announcements were sent out advising parents about the closure and asking them to pick up their wards.
She said she had to call in the Ministry of Health to deal with cow-itch that was creating a problem for students and staff, but she was not in a position to say whether the fire was connected to the cow itch.
The boardroom was transformed into an emergency area, where students were treated for various respiratory conditions.
Sick students were on the floor and on chairs connected to nebulisers and oxygen tanks, while some others were breathing into envelopes.
Those who were not as seriously affected were collected by their parents or allowed to use public transport.
Hundreds of children made hasty exits from the school. Many of them had their noses covered with washcloths and handkerchiefs to block out the smoke.
It was a day when students were definitely their brothers' keepers. They openly wept in and outside the compounds for their friends who were severely ill, clinging on to each other for support.
Residents in the area spoke about the problem of cow-itch as well, and said they had to call the fire service when the fire started on Wednesday night. It flared back up yesterday.
They said it not only interrupted their sleep, but started off bouts of coughing and triggered allergy symptoms.
Public relations officer for the QEH, Katrina Best said all of the students were discharged by 2:30 p.m. "following thorough assessment within the Accident and Emergency Department".
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