Exit to the Neunkirchner vocational school: Students in danger

Von WOM

On Wednesday morning there was a worrying incident in the Landesferschule Neunkirchen. Due to an exit of nitric acid, two classes had to be evacuated. A hideous smell spread after nitric acid was mixed with alcohol, which led to dangerous smoke development. Police spokesman Johann Baumschlager said that the fire brigade was quickly on site to fix the situation and help the students.

In a quick reaction, those affected had to leave the room immediately. One of the classes on the upper floor was brought to safety with a lift. In addition, a special group of pollutants and a decontamination unit of the Aspang fire brigade was consulted. The emergency services neutralized the acid and ensured that the building was sufficiently ventilated.

injuries and measures

In this incident, seven students suffered minor injuries, including breathing difficulties due to the vapors. Two of the injured students were transported to the Wiener Neustadt hospital due to the severity of their symptoms, as the spokeswoman for the Red Cross Lower Austria, Sonja Kellner, announced. The dangers of nitric acid should not be underestimated: it has a caustic and its vapors can cause serious health problems, such as bronchitis or even pneumonia.

school operations of this kind are not an isolated case. There have been incidents in the past time in which picric acid in schools and a pharmacy in Lower Austria and Tyrol were discovered. For example, the HTL Mödling had to be evacuated in October, and luckily no injuries were to be complained about.

The classes concerned were brought to a safe place, while the fire brigade took all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the students. Such an incident causes important questions about security in educational institutions, especially in terms of dealing with dangerous chemicals. Further information on this incident can be found in a report at www.s.at .