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Nov. 05--PLEASANT HILL -- A busload of high school students returning to the Peninsula from a trip to Yuba City was overcome by diesel fumes Friday evening near Interstate 680, police and fire officials said.
The Sequoia Union High School District bus with about 38 passengers on board was traveling south on I-680 near Contra Costa Boulevard around 7:35 p.m. when a fuel leak developed and liquid diesel entered the passenger compartment through the floorboards, California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Edmond said.
The bus driver, who was not injured, immediately exited the freeway, but not before the disabled bus leaked fuel on the roadway at Concord Avenue.
At least 11 students were taken to nearby hospitals for skin irritation and complaints of difficulty breathing, Edmond said.
A Contra Costa Fire District firefighter said that many of the students with skin irritation had not been wearing shoes and were injured when their feet came in contact with the fuel.
About 5 gallons of diesel spilled on the highway, and police were directing traffic near the I-680 on-ramp while waiting for Caltrans crews to clean up the mess.
Chaperones accompanying the students declined to comment on the incident, saying they had been advised by their principal not to speak with the media. However, Edmond said the bus was from Woodside High School in Redwood City.
Workers at the scene said the cause of the spill was most likely a mechanical problem
with the bus.
There was no immediate word on the severity of the passenger injuries.
Another bus was dispatched to take the remaining passengers home.
