The accident occurred during a chemistry experiment at a new middle school in Lower Austria. A total of 55 people are believed to have come into contact with the smoke.
According to the Red Cross, three people were taken to hospital on Tuesday after a chemical experiment at a new middle school in Payerbach (Neunkirchen district). According to spokesman Andreas Genker, 55 people – primarily students – came into contact with the smoke. There were complaints of nausea and respiratory irritation. It was not initially clear which substances were involved.
According to police spokeswoman Manuela Weinkirn, the incident happened around lunchtime. According to them, two girls and a boy were among those who were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. All the children there underwent a health check-up and were later handed over to their parents.
The spirits in the experiment are said to have exceeded the critical level
As “NÖN” (“Niederösterreichische Nachrichten”) reported online, a routine experiment may have been conducted at school. As a result, the concentration of vapors is said to have reached a critical level, Zenger of the Red Cross said. Mayor Jochen Baus stressed in an interview with ORF Lower Austria that the new middle school and the nearby elementary school were evacuated as a precaution.
The Red Cross was stationed with nine vehicles. According to Zenker, three emergency physicians and a crisis intervention team were also on site. According to District Commander Joseph Huber, the fire department also responded, and the priority was to ventilate the property.
