Fumes Sicken Students in Grand Terrace
Nearly two dozen children at a Grand Terrace elementary school were sent to hospitals complaining of nausea and stomachaches Wednesday after inhaling fumes from a broken pesticide container, officials said.
A 12-ounce bottle of Malathion was found in a vacant lot west of Terrace View Elementary School and the strong fumes made their way to the school, said San Bernardino County Fire Department spokeswoman Tracey Martinez.
Twenty-one students were sent to three hospitals as a precaution, she said.
“It had a really strong odor,” Martinez said. “The children’s reactions were very typical of when you smell a pesticide.”
Authorities do not know how the container ended up near the school or how it was broken, Martinez said. School officials let pupils go home early as a hazardous materials crew cleaned the scene, Martinez said.
School will be open today, Martinez said.
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