Fire & Life Safety

Carbon monoxide leak at Chicago school sends more than 100 to hospital

Leak at Horace Mann Elementary was detected by newly installed carbon monoxide monitors
Dec. 3, 2015

A carbon monoxide leak Thursday at an elementary school on Chicago's South Side sent 104 students and seven staff members to the hospital.

DNAinfo Chicago reports that newly installed carbon monoxide detectors--the school system has installed 5,900 detectors in the last month in schools throughout the city--were tripped as school started Thursday at Horace Mann Elementary School. Students were evacuated, and some were taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

Firefighters responded to the alarms shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. Because it was early in the day, exposure to the gas was low, according to the Fire Department.

The carbon monoxide detectors were installed at Horace Mann in the last month as part of district's drive to install such alarms in every school. The district acted after a carbon monoxide leak in October at an elementary on the Northwest Side sickened more than 80 people.

Video from WGN-TV:

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Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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