Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The St Elizabeth Fire Department is maintaining that the cylinder containing harmful chlorine gas that was accidentally punctured by a student at the Maggotty High School, St Elizabeth, yesterday, should not have been on the compound.

More than 70 people, including teachers and students, had to be treated at hospital after they inhaled the gas and began experiencing difficulty breathing and vomiting.

The incident also resulted in a massive evacuation at the institution and disrupted sessions at the nearby Glen Stewart Primary School.

"The school should have contacted the National Water Commission to dispose of this cylinder when they stopped using it," said district officer Ervington Bellanfante, who is attached to the Black River Fire Station. "If the cylinder had exploded, then the result here today would have been catastrophic."

Firefighters busy

When The Gleaner visited the school, shortly after the incident, firefighters were busy using water to contain widespread exposure of the chlorine to nearby communities.

The cylinder was being used by students in the welding department at Maggotty High.

Region Five Education Director Vincent Guthrie said classes at Maggotty and Glen Stewart resume today.

"What happened here today has taken us by surprise," he said. "Hazardous materials should be treated in a certain way and we expect that no hazardous material would be accessible to students without supervision."

Meanwhile, Opposition Spokes-person on Education, Senator Basil Waite, said the education ministry should conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

He also said there should be an audit of the safety guidelines currently employed at the institution and mandatory inspection and servicing of hazardous equipment.

When exposed to chlorine gas: