Μake us preferred on Google Thirteen children and several adults were taken to hospitals following a chemical incident at a private school in Koropi, east of Athens, on Wednesday morning, Nov. 11, prompting an emergency response and the evacuation of the school building.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. during routine maintenance of the school’s swimming pool. School owner Polyxeni Kaisari said an error by external contractors had caused a strong smell of chlorine to spread throughout the building.
“There was a mistake by the external contractors during the maintenance process,” Kaisari, who owns the Kaisaris private school, told Ta Nea. “We noticed a strong smell of chlorine throughout the school and immediately evacuated the entire building.”
Thirteen students, all six years old, were taken by ambulance to Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital in Athens. Five have since been discharged, while eight remain under medical evaluation. The children were examined by pediatricians and ear, nose and throat specialists.
Another student was collected from the school by his mother after she signed the necessary paperwork.
Twelve adults were taken to Sotiria Hospital in Athens, while two pool maintenance workers were taken to the Koropi Health Center for examination.
Seven ambulances and a smaller emergency response vehicle were dispatched to the school by EKAB, Greece’s national emergency ambulance service. A specialized disaster response unit, known as EMAK, was also called to the scene.
Kaisari said emergency services had examined children who were near the swimming pool, including those who had shown no symptoms. She said the hospital transfers were precautionary and that the children had not experienced breathing difficulties.
“We notified the police and EKAB, which also examined the children who were in the pool area and had no symptoms,” she told Ta Nea. “They were taken to the hospital as a precaution.”
The Greek Poison Control Center said the condition of those exposed was not a cause for concern. Reports from the hospitals also indicated that the children and adults were in good health, with no serious complications reported.
The evacuation extended to the entire school building, according to Kaisari, rather than only the elementary school and kindergarten facilities initially reported.
Authorities have since completed an operation to remove a container of hydrochloric acid from the school’s swimming pool facilities.
Kaisari said the school was still investigating the circumstances of the incident and was awaiting an explanation from the outside maintenance company.
“We are still investigating exactly what happened. We have not personally spoken with the company yet, and we are waiting for them to explain,” she said. “We will take whatever action is required.”
School director Ilias Kaisaris also sought to reassure parents, telling Orange Press that established safety procedures had been followed. “There was an odor, the protocol was followed, and there is no longer any issue,” he said.
No arrests or detentions had been reported in connection with the incident.
