SCARBOROUGH — Eleven students were transported to area hospitals Thursday after falling ill during a school concert rehearsal at Wentworth School, prompting a temporary evacuation of the building.
The Scarborough Dispatch Center received a 911 call at 10:07 a.m. from a school nurse reporting a possible gas leak and several ill students in the school clinic.
Scarborough Fire and Police Departments responded within four minutes, arriving at the Quentin Drive school at 10:11 a.m.
Officials evacuated the school as a precaution and declared a Mass Casualty Incident at 10:19 a.m. due to the number of affected students.
Eleven mutual aid Fire/EMS agencies assisted at the scene and covered Scarborough Fire Stations during the response.
Fire crews conducted a thorough investigation using various gas meters but found no evidence of a gas leak or carbon monoxide inside or outside the building.
All affected students were part of a group of 120 third and fourth graders rehearsing on risers on the stage in the school cafeteria for an upcoming concert.
The incident began when one student lost consciousness, followed by others experiencing respiratory symptoms.
School officials are investigating whether stage temperature and limited ventilation contributed to the students’ symptoms and are considering improvements to airflow in the space.
The remaining Wentworth students and staff were temporarily relocated to Scarborough High School before returning to Wentworth around 12:00 p.m. after the building was deemed safe.
All transported students were released from area hospitals by 1:30 p.m.
