BEECH GROVE — A "smoke-related incident" at Beech Grove High School this afternoon led to at least 20 injuries, according to Mayor Dennis Buckley.
The Mayor explained that crews are still working to find the source of the incident within the school.
One student, Beech Grove High School senior Jose Cheshier, explained that he was at lunch when the event started.
"We got a big whiff of it. It stinks. It just smelled like gas," Cheshier said.
According to a school statement, a school resource officer was first alerted to concerns of smoke coming from the girls bathroom.
The BGHS principal deployed a fire drill evacuation and within three minutes all students and staff were evacuated, the statement said.
During the evacuation. a number of law enforcement, fire department and EMS professionals arrived to the scene.
According to the school, students and staff were checked by medical personnel for concerns related to smoke inhalation
The Indianapolis Fire Department reported that 22 individuals were checked at the scene, including 13 staff and 9 students, however, no students or staff were transported to the hospital.
All students were released to their parents and all staff members were released to home, according to the school.
After on site testing from the IFD Hazmat Unit, it was determined that there was no evidence of a chemical spill.
The school says they are reviewing security cameras and will be investigating what happened inside the restroom.
The school released the following statement:
A disruption of the school day like what was experienced today is unacceptable and we will work tirelessly to ensure that the cause of the incident is uncovered and appropriate consequences are rendered.
All onsite evening events were canceled out of precaution and to give our custodial teams the opportunity to conduct a thorough sanitization of the property in time for school tomorrow. At this time, we intend for all schools in BGCS to be on time.
The school also said that anyone experiencing health related concerns can follow the advice of an on site physician:
“It is best to take it easy for the rest of the day. Have good ventilation and be out in fresh air, if possible. Avoid any smoke, vapes, or tobacco. You should feel better in several hours. If you have increasing difficulty breathing, worsening chest pain or discomfort or feel you might pass out, please go to the emergency department for further evaluation. You can also call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 if you have symptoms and would like to talk to a nurse,” the physician said.
