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Fourteen children are rushed to hospital after a massive gas leak at school
- Gas leak at St George Primary School, Queensland
- Paramedics evaluated 32 patients, including 27 children.
- Two adults and 14 children taken to hospital
Fourteen children have been rushed to hospital after they were overwhelmed by a large gas leak at their primary school in rural Queensland.
Emergency services responded to St George’s State School, 500km west of Brisbane, at around 9:30am on Tuesday, after gas cylinders next to the administration building were reported to be leaking.
Queensland Ambulance Services sent a medical team of two doctors and four nurses to the school to assess the staff and children.
A total of 32 patients were evaluated, including 27 children between the ages of five and 14 years.
Two adults and 14 children were taken to St George’s Hospital for treatment after suffering from abdominal pain, nausea and headaches.
Fourteen students aged 5 to 14 from St George Primary School (pictured) were taken to hospital after gas cylinders near the school office started leaking.
A total of 32 patients were tested at the school before two adults and 14 children were taken to hospital for treatment after suffering from abdominal pain, nausea and headaches.
The children are in stable condition.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the local council quickly isolated the gas cylinders near the school office.
Queensland Ambulance Services Chief Operations Supervisor John Nolan said the small medical team did a “good job” despite the high number of casualties.
“The crew did a very good job initiating the medical response from St George’s Hospital,” Nolan said.
‘Then we had crews come from Surat and I came down from Rome.’
St George is a rural town in the Balonne Shire and is considered the gateway to the Queensland hinterland.
The community has a population of 3,120 people, according to the 2021 census.