At least 30 children 'unable to breathe' after horror 'gas attack' at German school
The incident took place in Dresden (file pic)
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At least 30 children have been injured in a "gas attack" on a school in Germany.
A "major alarm" has been triggered in the city of Dresden with 26 children being hospitalised following a suspected gas attack on the 107th high school on Hepkestrasse.
It has since emerged that an "irritating gas-like substance" was sprayed at the school, which many of the children had inhaled.
Some of the injured children have been taken to hospitals in Freital, Meissen, and Pirna. Traffic restrictions have also been put in place in Stubelallee to give greater access to emergency services.
Traffic restrictions are in place on the Stubelallee
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A spokesperson for the fire brigade said: "We have triggered a major alarm and prepared the clinics in Dresden and the surrounding area."
The police are now on site and an investigation into the incident is currently ongoing. The fire department added that parents can contact the school via phone.
German news outlet Bild reports that there is currently no information about the perpetrators. Exactly what substance was used is still unclear.
The spokesperson added that they have declared a "mass casualty incident" so that hospitals in the area can prepare for the injured.
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Emergency services are in attendance at the school
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Dresden police have now confirmed they are launching an investigation into grievous bodily harm.
Fire department spokesman Michael Klahre told Radio Dresden: "We don’t yet know what exactly the substance was."
The substance may have been sprayed by unnamed individuals inside the building, prompting the emergency, the spokesman appeared to suggest.
Quoted by DNN, Klahre also said: "Unknown people sprayed an irritating gas-like substance in the school building, which many children inhaled."