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Elementary school in Bel茅n given 'clean bill of health' after evacuation over gas concerns
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Central Elementary School in Bel茅n was evacuated for a reported 鈥済as smell鈥� Tuesday morning, which was students鈥� first day back from a four-day Easter weekend.
Four people 鈥� three students and one staff member 鈥� went to the hospital because they were experiencing symptoms that someone who had been exposed to natural gas might, Bel茅n Consolidated Schools Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez told the Journal.
He did not know their status as of about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
About 200 students were evacuated from Central around 9:30 a.m., Sanchez said. In a social media post two hours later, the district said that call was made by the fire department as a precautionary measure.
The Belen Fire Department could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
It鈥檚 not exactly clear what the issue was. While some people reported the smell, Sanchez said the New Mexico Gas Co. conducted a 鈥渇ull-scale pressure check鈥� and found no leaks in the school.
Sanchez theorized the smell may have come from so-called p-traps in the school鈥檚 plumbing, which had gone unused while students were out of class for Easter. Still, he emphasized that was just speculation, and that the school would have to keep investigating the issue.
On the bright side, Sanchez said, the New Mexico Gas Co. cleared the school for students to go back to class on Wednesday, and he added he was confident it would be safe to do so.
鈥淎s always, we value the safety of our staff and students, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e very happy that New Mexico Gas is able to give us a clean bill of health,鈥� he said. 鈥�... (They) let us know that we don鈥檛 have a dangerous situation at our school.鈥�
