Natural Gas Fumes Sicken Schoolchildren
Natural gas fumes sickened dozens of children Wednesday morning at a junior high school, sending nine to the hospital with complaints of nausea and headaches. None of the cases were considered serious, authorities said.
The gas odor traveled from a site three miles southwest of the school where Southern California Gas Co. was releasing gas to work on a transmission pipeline being relocated for a housing development, a company official said.
More than 60 youngsters complained of nausea and headaches as the strong odor wafted into La Mesa Junior High School about 10:30 a.m., said Robert C. Lee, superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District.
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