A hazardous materials incident unfolded Thursday morning at an educational facility in Jerusalem's Shuafat neighborhood after a worker accidentally mixed incompatible cleaning chemicals, sending more than 20 children and the worker herself to hospital.
The incident occurred when a female employee, approximately 50 years old, combined acid with chlorine, a mixture that produces toxic fumes. United Hatzalah teams were dispatched to the scene at 11:03 a.m. and provided initial medical treatment to the victims.
The worker was evacuated to hospital in moderate condition, while the children's conditions were classified as light. All suffered from breathing difficulties after inhaling the chemical vapors.
Chani Itzkowitz, a United Hatzalah medic who responded to the scene, described what happened: "We were told at the scene that the worker felt ill after incorrectly mixing cleaning materials, a combination of acid with chlorine. Her condition at this stage is defined as moderate. After she was evacuated to hospital, we were informed that over 20 children at the same educational facility also felt unwell and reported breathing difficulties due to the nature of the incident. Their condition at this stage is defined as light."
