Conflicting reports on cause of incident
Reports a plane dropped a mystery substance over Carterton schools are unsubstantiated and are more ‘‘unlikely than likely’’, a Fire and Emergency NZ officer says.
Ten children were sent to Wairarapa Hospital after students at South End and Montessori schools were exposed to an unknown substance yesterday afternoon.
Conflicting reports were emerging about the cause of the incident, including unconfirmed reports a plane may have ‘‘accidentally sprayed’’ the two schools with pesticide.
However, Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller Brett Lockyer said authorities were still unsure about what the substance was, if the reported contaminants were airborne or if a pupil may have brought something to school.
But Lockyer cast doubt on reports the substance was dropped by a plane, saying it was ‘‘more unlikely than likely’’.
Some of the symptoms experienced by pupils and adults were nausea, skin irritation and redness of eyes. A total of 107 people had to undergo decontamination, with people near the school also reporting illness.
The trouble started when a strong sulfur smell was detected early afternoon, forcing about 30 children to fall ill after breathing in the unknown substance – four or five students began to vomit.
The 10 children taken to hospital were experiencing nausea, vomiting and slight temperatures. They received medical attention as a precautionary measure. All have since been sent home.
Wairarapa District Health Board spokeswoman Anna Cardno urged anyone displaying symptoms to seek medical advice.
South End School principal Claire Crawford said now that everyone was ‘‘totally safe’’, they were ‘‘just trying to sort out what caused this’’.
Kylie Parry’s daughter Mindy, 12, was among the children who had fallen ill and was called by Crawford. Parry, who was waiting outside the school, was told her daughter was in the care of paramedics but was ‘‘OK’’.
‘‘They’ve all been very professional and the principal has kept everyone really informed,’’ she said.
Louisa Newman lives about a block away from South End School.
She said her partner Jack was playing with their 2-year-old daughter, Ellie, and their neighbour’s daughter, about 2pm when both girls began vomiting.
‘‘At first we didn’t know what was what happening. But my father phoned and said he had read on
Stuff what was happening.’’ Their neighbour phoned the school and was told to take her daughter to the contamination zone.
The Newmans decided to keep their daughter at home and clean her up and wash her off. She began to perk up after about 90 minutes. ‘‘It’s a quiet little town so when something happens like this it’s crazy.’’
Parry said there were ‘‘plenty of rumours going around’’ about the cause.
Parents were asked to go home and get a change of clothes for their children, because all needed to undergo a precautionary decontamination process.
Wellington Free Ambulance executive director healthcare services Geoff Proctor said earlier: ‘‘One hundred and seven people are going through a decontamination process, consisting of washing down and fresh, dry clothes.’’
Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman Nick Venter said four fire crews attended the scene from Wairarapa with extra support vehicles from Wellington also called in.
The Life Flight Rescue Helicopter was also sent from Wellington.
The substance had not yet been identified, Venter said.
‘‘It’s a quiet little town so when something happens like this it’s crazy." Carterton resident Louisa Newman