Since Thursday, May 30, more than sixty students from Fère-Champenoise, in Marne, have felt unwell while going to the canteen. The carbon monoxide poisoning route seems favored.
Itching, vomiting… Since Thursday, May 30, more than 60 students from Fère-Champenoise (Marne) have felt unwell while going to the canteen. Carbon monoxide poisoning remains favored at this stage, although all avenues are being investigated. The primary school, nursery school and canteen are closed until further notice. Some children were still hospitalized on Tuesday.
• More than 60 students poisoned in three days
On Thursday, May 30, 21 children and one adult suffered from vomiting and itching during the journey to the canteen in Fère-Champenoise (Marne), the prefecture said on Monday, June 3 in a press release. Even if their condition “did not cause concern”, two students and an adult were hospitalized for a few hours in Romilly-sur-Seine. After the emergency services cleared up the situation, the students were able to return to the classrooms in the afternoon.
The next day, the situation repeated itself. Around twenty children suffered from the same symptoms. This time, the 170 primary school pupils were tested by the firefighters.
Among them, 22 were hospitalized and their carbon monoxide poisoning was confirmed, added the prefecture in a first press release before no longer mentioning it in a second.
Monday, a new wave of illnesses on the same route. While the origin of the poisoning was still unknown, the closure of the elementary school was decided on Friday by the authorities. The students were distributed to different sites in the city.
Despite everything, “between 25 and 30 children” and one adult were victims of discomfort or even vomiting on the way to the canteen, reported Gérard Gorisse, mayor of Fère-Champenoise, on BFMTV this Tuesday. They were taken care of by the firefighters and the medical profession without their vital prognosis being compromised. Their state of health did not cause concern. Ten students and the adult were nevertheless transported to hospital Monday evening.
• The preferred carbon monoxide trail
During the last three days of school, students and adults felt unwell in the same place: on the way to the canteen. This catering area is located within the school complex.
On Monday, the firefighters, the Samu and the environmental health services of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) went to the site “in search of an origin of the poisoning outside the school grounds”. The sub-prefect was also expected at the end of the afternoon.
“Carbon monoxide poisoning remains considered, but all avenues are being studied,” wrote the prefecture in its second press release. Tests were carried out on kindergarten and primary school students, while 10 students and one adult were hospitalized. All avenues are nevertheless being studied at this stage, said the prefecture.
“Yesterday, we visited several industrial sites, on all the hypotheses that could produce carbon with the fire brigade command center,” reported Gérard Gorisse, mayor of Fère-Champenoise, on BFMTV this Tuesday.
The elected official specified that a research unit from Moselle was expected during the day on Tuesday to carry out “many more investigations in the town”. Around ten firefighters specializing in natural and technological risks are also mobilized to continue their research work in order to identify the cause of the symptoms. These investigations will be carried out outside and inside the school premises.
A private company was also asked “to install air analyzers in the city so that we can observe, day after day, and especially between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.”, announced the mayor.
• “We can’t live in fear every day”
Lola, a fourth grade student, was sick Thursday, Friday and Monday. She is still hospitalized this Tuesday.
“It started on Thursday. We were informed in the afternoon that our daughter was not feeling well and that she was being transferred to the hospital with another student and a school assistant,” explained Flora L ‘Hermit, his mother, on BFMTV. Lola was able to go out in the evening.
“She had headaches, stomach aches and throbbing legs, but she was fine,” continued the mother who sent her daughter back to school the next morning. “When we got back on the road, she didn’t feel well. We went back to the kindergarten where we knew there were all the firefighters.” Lola took a battery of tests.
On Monday, the little girl returned to class. “Primary school was closed so she was in middle school, we said to ourselves that everything was fine,” explains Flora the Hermit. At 2 p.m., his phone rang “to warn us that it was starting again and that Lola was one of the affected students”.
The little girl was hospitalized again. “We are still in the hospital. They kept us all night. We are in the dark,” explained her mother Flora the Hermit, who clarified that she did not want to send her daughter back to school for the week. “As long as we don’t have reassuring news, I’m done.”
• Schools closed until further notice
The nursery school, primary school and canteen are closed until further notice until the origin of the symptoms is identified.
Pending the results of the analyzes carried out on the children, the pupils of CP, CE1 and CE2 have been welcomed, since Monday, at the Maison des associations of the commune and those of CM1 and CM2 at the college. Lunch takes place at the college. This Tuesday, a listening cell was set up for students and families.
Boris Kharlamoff with Charlotte Lesage
