Noxious odor sends teacher, 11 students to the hospital

'We had no idea what was going on'

A "noxious odor" sent one teacher and 11 students to the hospital after they complained about eye, nose and throat irritation at Leihoku Elementary School in Waianae yesterday, Honolulu Fire Department officials said.

About 300 other students and teachers were evacuated to the cafeteria and other parts of the campus away from the affected area as a precaution, according to school Principal Randall Miura. The first sign that something was in the air came at about 10 a.m., when three students in portable classrooms for the fifth- and sixth-graders reported having bloody noses at the same time.

"After that, more kids started complaining about being irritated, and the school evacuated two portable classrooms," said HFD spokesman Kenison Tejada.

"Then more kids complained from two more buildings, and those were evacuated to different parts of the campus.

Tejada said the fire crews were notified about an unidentified odor in the area but were unable to locate a source. Crews scoured school property as well as the brush behind it, while police helicopters did an aerial check.

The search turned up nothing, and Tejada said even their air quality tests showed no evidence of rogue chemicals in the area. The only possible culprit seemed to be concrete dust from a state construction site at the front of the school where renovations have been taking place.

"One of the things that could irritate the nose is an alkali product like lime in concrete dust," he said. "We checked everything else."

Emergency Medical Services officials said all 12 of the patients were transported to the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Center in stable condition. EMS District Chief Robert Pedro said three students had the bloody noses, four more complained of ear, nose and throat irritation, and four other students were hyperventilating and crying because of the stress of the situation. They were all released after treatment.

The evacuated children were finally let out of their confined areas at about 1 p.m., along with some parents who happened to be at the school.

"They told us to close the windows and the doors," said Chantel Poloa, who was trapped on campus with her daughter Shyann, 3, and 1-year-old son, Logan. "We had no idea what was going on."

Outside the school, parents gathered along Lualualei Homestead Road awaiting word about what had happened and whether their children were OK.

"I was going to take him out of school early and called the office to get a pass and they told me I couldn't because of what was going on," said Lena Leopoleo, whose 5-year-old son Royce is in kindergarten at Leihoku. "But I didn't know if one of those (affected) children is my son."