Minn. school evacuated after possible carbon monoxide poisoning

Updated
Minn. Elementary School Evacuated After Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Minn. Elementary School Evacuated After Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning


HLN says students in a Minnesota elementary school choir class are possibly suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.'School officials have not officially released the cause but 30 students went to the hospital. The rest were taken to a nearby community center for their parents to pick them up.'


KARE says the fourth and fifth graders were in Springfield Elementary School's auditorium February 6th when they started feeling ill.

'They were taken to the nurse's office and that's then the nurses decided and said 'hey --this is a bigger deal than we anticipated.' They called in first responders. Ultimately the school was evacuated.'

WCCO spoke with the mother of one of the children who became ill.

'Something wasn't right, 'cause he was pale, white as a sheet. You could tell his eyes were kinda heavy, like when they're sick they're really heavy. He was really white, and he just said he wanted to lay down.'

WCCO says she then took her son, Cole, to the Mayo Clinic Health System Hospital. Lab tests showed he had higher than normal levels of carbon monoxide in his blood.

Cole was kept on an IV and given oxygen, but thankfully he was later released.

The Journal spoke with the local fire chief who said no carbon monoxide was found when the school building was checked. Additional tests are being conducted to determine the cause of the incident.

All of the students have been released from the hospital.

Some parents told WCCO they will not be sending their children back until the cause of the illness is determined.

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