A powerful odor inside an elementary school in Northwest D.C. sickened students and staff members on Tuesday and led to a hazmat response as the school was evacuated.
D.C. Fire and EMS personnel were called to Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, shortly after 10:30 a.m. because several people reportedly felt sick.
The school was evacuated because of what school officials initially called "an unknown odor." The source of the smell was asphalt work at an "adjacent construction site," D.C. Fire and EMS later determined.
Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults who required no further medical attention, D.C. Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
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News4 video showed students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, D.C. Public Schools officials said.
A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench.
No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the fire department.
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Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.
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