Students sent to hospital as gas smell reported at Japan school

People walk on a street in the Dotonbori area in downtown Osaka on Jan 13, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

TOKYO – A gas smell was reported on Monday at an elementary school in Japan's Osaka Prefecture, where dozens of students complained of feeling unwell, local authorities have said.

At around 10 am local time, a strange gas-like smell was reported at Kamei Elementary School in the city of Yao, Osaka Prefecture, according to local police.

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So far, 51 children who complained of poor health conditions have been taken to the hospital after all children were evacuated from the school building, the police reported. No children report severe symptoms.

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It has been confirmed that there was no gas leakage in the school building, with the origin of the smell still under investigation, according to local authorities.