12/03/2012

31 overcome by carbon monoxide at Atlanta school

By Becky Bratu, NBC News

Twenty-nine students and two staffers at an Atlanta elementary school were rushed to the hospital early Monday after exposure to carbon monoxide fumes, fire officials told NBC News.

The students, who exhibited mild and moderate symptoms related to carbon monoxide poisoning, were from two different classrooms at Finch Elementary in southwest Atlanta. The staffers included one teacher and one cafeteria worker.

The entire school was evacuated as a precaution, NBC affiliate WXIA reported.

The incident was first reported at 9 a.m. ET. No one was found unconscious at the scene, but the carbon monoxide reading was 1700, which Atlanta Fire said was high.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. 

Please check back for more on this developing story.

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