Seven students were transported to the hospital following a hazardous materials situation at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton on Monday. As reported by Boston 25 News, emergency crews arrived at the scene around 1:48 p.m. after students in a classroom began experiencing symptoms such as dizziness and lightheadedness, alongside a strong odor.
Initial investigations by local authorities did not immediately pinpoint the cause of the incident. Taunton Fire Chief Steven Lavigne mentioned, "We are extremely thankful that no one was seriously injured as a result of this incident." He commended the teacher's swift actions in removing the students to safety and was grateful for the prompt response of the Taunton Fire Department. Superintendent-Director Magalhaes has confirmed to Boston 25 News that classes would resume as normal the following day.
The affected building, which houses the biotechnology, dental, and community health programs, was evacuated as a precaution. Following the initial response, the Taunton Board of Health approved the building's reopening after it was cleared by emergency crews without any unusual readings detected. According to 7NEWS, information on whether the incident was connected to an experiment conducted in the classroom remains under investigation.
The incident involved 16 students and one teacher, "There was a student doing a science project and there was a beaker under a fume hood, where it belongs, and that’s why they’re going to go and investigate and see what that substance is," Taunton Fire Chief Steven Lavigne told 7NEWS. The students who were taken to Morton Hospital were reported to have minor symptoms. The cause of the exposure remains under investigation by local authorities and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division team. More updates are expected as the story develops.
