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Elementary school in Belén given 'clean bill of health' after evacuation over gas concerns
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Central Elementary School in Belén was evacuated for a reported “gas smell” Tuesday morning, which was students’ first day back from a four-day Easter weekend.
Four people — three students and one staff member — went to the hospital because they were experiencing symptoms that someone who had been exposed to natural gas might, Belén Consolidated Schools Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez told the Journal.
He did not know their status as of about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
About 200 students were evacuated from Central around 9:30 a.m., Sanchez said. In a social media post two hours later, the district said that call was made by the fire department as a precautionary measure.
The Belen Fire Department could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
It’s not exactly clear what the issue was. While some people reported the smell, Sanchez said the New Mexico Gas Co. conducted a “full-scale pressure check” and found no leaks in the school.
Sanchez theorized the smell may have come from so-called p-traps in the school’s plumbing, which had gone unused while students were out of class for Easter. Still, he emphasized that was just speculation, and that the school would have to keep investigating the issue.
On the bright side, Sanchez said, the New Mexico Gas Co. cleared the school for students to go back to class on Wednesday, and he added he was confident it would be safe to do so.
“As always, we value the safety of our staff and students, and that’s why we’re very happy that New Mexico Gas is able to give us a clean bill of health,” he said. “... (They) let us know that we don’t have a dangerous situation at our school.”
