At least 37 students required medical attention at a school in Berlin after tear gas was released at the establishment. A police investigation is ongoing.
According to a press release by the Berlin Police, the incident occurred at the Miriam Makeba Elementary School. Emergency services received the dispatch call at around 9 AM on Friday. The translated report explains, ” At least ten children are reportedly complaining of eye and respiratory irritation. They are currently being treated by emergency personnel.”
The building was reportedly “evacuated and ventilated,” and officers said there was no longer any danger to the public. Berlin Police say school operations were suspended, and authorities are investigating who released the gas. The Berlin Fire Brigade shared more details in a separate statement. They reveal there were approximately 400 children in the primary school at the time. Thirty-seven students required medical assistance on-site, and emergency services took one child to the hospital. There were reportedly 42 emergency staff at the school, and they were there for approximately 2 hours.
The School Was Closed While Police Carried Out An Investigation
Berlin Police were unable to provide any details regarding the incident. However, per the Daily Mail, local outlet Bild suggests, “tear gas was sprayed in the hallway of the school building.” Police reportedly said school activities would be suspended while they search for “possible perpetrators.”
Earlier this month in Germany, workers uncovered several unexploded World War 2 bombs in a shipyard. The discovery was so dangerous that emergency services evacuated over 20,000 people in a 1000-meter radius of the explosives. Officials explained they found a pair of American 20-ton bombs and one American 10-ton bomb. Each explosive had an impact fuse.
The City declared the evacuation effort was “The biggest measure after the end of the Second World War.” There were several essential buildings inside the evacuation radius, including the Eduardus Hospital and two nursing homes. The BBC explained that it’s not unusual to find unexploded ordnance in Cologne or Berlin. However, the three at the shipyard were larger than usual. The bomb disposal effort was ultimately a success despite one resident refusing to leave the area.