GASPING CHILDREN FLEE COACH FUMES AT BEACHAMWELL
PANICKING teenagers gasped for air as they fled fumes leaking into their school bus yesterday.
Four youngsters were treated at the roadside and taken to hospital by paramedics after the morning incident near Beachamwell.
Escaping carbon monoxide is believed to have caused the children’s retching and coughing but Norfolk County Council later said they were not exhaust fumes.
The coach was on its way from RAF Marham to Hamond’s High School at Swaffham.
One of the pupils affected was Gemma Robson, 15, who boarded the coach at Marham at about 8.10am.
She said: “When I got on, it was really smokey. You could see fumes and it smelled like diesel.”
Gemma said she complained to the driver but he continued to pick up more pupils and there were about 40 on the bus when it stopped in Chalk Lane at about 8.45am.
“Then everyone got off. We were all coughing and feeling really sick and dizzy and panicky as well. Some people were in a worse state than others,” she said.
Gemma, who has asthma, phoned for an ambulance and stayed with a group of four friends. One was particularly badly affected. “He kept going to be sick and said he thought he was going to pass out. We couldn’t leave him,” she said.
She said: “The paramedics sat us on the grass and gave us oxygen. There was a strong wind and we were all frozen so we were wrapped up in blankets.”
Four of the friends were taken to Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where they were given more oxygen and had blood tests taken.
Speaking to the Lynn News about six hours after the incident, Gemma said she still felt ill and had headache. Her father, Jason, 53, was concerned his daughter’s life and the lives of other children on the bus had been put at risk. “It was highly dangerous,” he said.
He feared council cutbacks were to blame and said he would be voicing his concerns to the school and the county council.
A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said the G,M.Travel bus driver stopped because he and some pupils smelt fumes. A replacement vehicle took the remaining pupils to school. The service normally carries around 50 pupils.
“The vehicle was taken to the company workshop and it has been established that the fumes were caused by a minor engine problem. They were not exhaust fumes,” said the spokesman.
An ambulance service spokesman said four children were treated for carbon monoxide inhalation after fumes were detected on the bus. Two rapid response vehicles and two ambulances were sent to the scene. The children were taken to hospital for further treatment and assessment. Two had breathing difficulties but all were conscious and alert.
Fire crews from Swaffham, Downham and Lynn were also called to the scene.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
