Children suffer serious burns after outdoor science experiment goes wrong at Sydney school
Two primary school students suffered serious burns to their face and chest and were taken to hospital after a science experiment conducted outdoors in high winds went wrong at a school on Sydney’s northern beaches.
They were among 11 students and one adult – believed to be their teacher – injured in the incident at Manly West public school about 1.20pm on Monday.
One of the students with serious burns was airlifted to Westmead children’s hospital while the other student was taken to that hospital by ambulance.
The nine other students were taken to the Royal North Shore and Northern Beaches hospitals. The adult was also admitted to hospital in a stable condition.
It is understood the year 5 students were taking part in a science demonstration to create a “black snake” or “sugar snake” with baking soda, a sugar mixture and an accelerant.
NSW Ambulance Acting Supt, Phil Templeman, said the wind had blown some materials around causing the injuries.
“We received multiple triple zero calls reporting that a number of children had sustained burns during a science experiment, which was being conducted outside,” he said.
“Today’s high winds have impacted the experiment and blown some of the materials around. The children have sustained burns to the upper body, chest, face and legs. Thankfully, the majority of the students were not badly injured.”
The NSW education department, NSW police and SafeWork NSW will each probe the incident.
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The NSW education minister, Sarah Mitchell, thanked school staff who “acted so quickly to provide first aid and call emergency services”.
“My thoughts are with the students and staff affected by today’s incident at Manly West public school,” she said.
“We will provide whatever resources the school community needs in the coming days, including counselling for students and staff.
“Investigations into the incident will be undertaken by the relevant authorities, including the Department of Education and NSW police. In addition, SafeWork NSW has been notified and they will carry out their own investigation in due course.”
Templeman thanked the school’s staff for how they handled the situation.
“This was a huge response by NSW Ambulance to ensure that these children received urgent medical treatment within minutes of the incident occurring. This included eight ambulances, two inspectors and two specialist medical teams,” he said.
“I’d also like to recognise the staff from the school, who managed this incident particularly well, offering immediate support to emergency crews and ensuring injured patients were moved to an area where we could treat them.”
Police were still at the scene at 4pm. Local MP, Zali Steggall, said on Twitter: “Shocked to hear reports of an incident at Manly West Public School today.
“My thoughts are with the students and staff who have been impacted, and I wish them a speedy recovery.”
Fire and Rescue NSW officers were at the school to make sure there was no ongoing risk to the public.
Parents were contacted and support was provided to students and staff impacted by the incident.