Updated at 2:46 p.m., Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Odor sickens 23 children at church school
Advertiser Staff
Twenty-three children and one teacher at an `Ewa church school were taken to St. Francis-West by city bus after complaining of a noxious gas odor, emergency authorities said today."They're real stable," said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Deparmtent. "They're complaining of mild stomach aches and watery eyes. I don't know what they were exposed to."
Authorities said fumes from a car fire filtered through the playground of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic preschool on Ma Ke Kula Street in Ewa.
The fire broke out in a back street behind the school playground.
School officials moved students into the church, and several students began complaining dizzines and burning eyes.
Five fire companies, including a Hazmat unit, were sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on North Road, said Capt. Kenison Tejada, fire department spokesman.
Tejada said about 20 children were initially affected.
Firefighters at first responded to a car fire at 12:41 p.m. and other companies were called after a suspected gas leak was reported at 1:04 p.m.
The school has about 240 students from K-8. Paramedics with the Honolulu Emergency Services Deparmtent were sent to the scene.
