Multiple Children Injured After Tear Gas Is Released Inside German Elementary School: Reports

Dozens of children have been injured at a local elementary school in Berlin, Germany, after tear gas was released in the hallways, according to reports.

In a statement shared on X the Berlin Police Department reported that they responded to an alert at the Miriam Makeba Elementary School in Berlin-Moabit at around 9 a.m. local time on Friday, June 20. The Berlin Fire Department also attended the scene.

“At least ten children are reportedly complaining of eye and respiratory irritation. They are currently being treated by emergency personnel,” the statement said. “The building has been evacuated and ventilated.”

Police reported that “there is no longer any danger.” However, “school operations are to be suspended.”

“Investigations into the cause and possible perpetrators are ongoing,” the statement concluded.

There were 400 students in the school at the time, with 37 having been treated by emergency services after being exposed to the “irritant gas,” according to a statement from the fire department, Berliner Feuerwehr, which shared that it was “alerted to a primary school” on Friday.

One of the students was transported to a local hospital for further care, per the department.

German publication BILD reported that the attack occurred when tear gas was allegedly let off within the building. Per the outlet, parents later gathered outside of the building.

A spokesperson for the Berlin Fire Department told the outlet that the the students suffered from “shortness of breath and eye irritation,” with one needing treatment at the hospital “for further medical care.”

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The fire department confirmed that at 11:35 a.m. local time, the scene was “under control,” the school had been ventilated and parents were notified.

“At its peak, we were on site with 42 emergency personnel for about two hours,” the department shared.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as more information becomes available.