Thirty-Four Hospitalized in East Jerusalem School Chemical Incident
Thirty-four people, including 30 children, were hospitalized in Shuafat on Thursday after breathing toxic fumes caused by mixing cleaning agents at a school.
A chemical incident at an educational institution in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat sent 34 people to local hospitals on Thursday after cleaning agents were improperly mixed, releasing toxic chlorine fumes.
Paramedics and emergency crews rushed to the scene after students and teachers reported severe respiratory distress. According to initial findings, cleaning staff mixed acid and chlorine products, creating a hazardous chemical reaction that filled the building with a pungent odor. Emergency responders evacuated the victims to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the Hadassah Medical Center on Mount Scopus.
Medical officials reported that among the injured are a 10-year-old child in moderate condition and a cleaning worker whose condition was also initially classified as moderate. The remaining victims, including dozens of children and staff members, suffered mild symptoms and breathing difficulties.
"We received reports at the scene that a staff member fell ill following an improper mixture of cleaning agents combining acid and chlorine. Following her evacuation, more than 20 children at the same educational institution reported feeling unwell with respiratory difficulties."
