Several People, Including a Firefighter, Sickened By Fumes at D.C. National Gallery
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Several people, including student with a school group, were sickened by fumes inside the National Gallery of Art on Thursday, authorities said.
``What we have here is a mass casualty event,'' said Alan Etter, spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
Hazardous materials crews evacuated the building. They then traced the problem to a polyurethane sealant being used in a refurbishment project.
``Several containers were open at the same time creating a large concentration of these harmful vapors,'' Etter said. ``The stuff is flammable, the stuff is toxic, even in low concentrations.''
One firefighter and three museum security guards were hospitalized with symptoms including nausea and headaches. As some of the fire crews were returning to service, the chaperone of a school group from Chambersburg, Pa., approached firefighters and told them several of the kids were not feeling well. Between 15-20 children and adults on their bus were brought to a hospital. None of the injuries was considered serious.
The gallery was closed the rest of Thursday and was expected to reopen Friday. But airing it out proved to be an unusual challenge.
``Normally what we do is open the doors, and reverse fans pump fresh air into the building. We can't do that here because many of the pieces of artwork that they have are vulnerable to humidity and they would be destroyed,'' Etter said. Instead, the building's ventilation system was being turned up to the highest level to clean the air.
The National Gallery of Art is about four blocks west of the U.S. Capitol, along the National Mall. It is also about three miles east of the World War II Memorial, where thousands are gathering for this weekend's dedication.
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