Six hurt in Virginia high school chemistry lab fire
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fire broke out at a Virginia high school's chemistry lab on Friday, injuring a teacher and five students, two of them seriously, officials said.
The fire occurred about 9:40 a.m. EDT at Woodson High School in Fairfax, a Washington suburb, said Mary Shaw, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Public Schools. The high school was evacuated.
Fairfax County Fire Chief Richard Bowers said two students were airlifted to a Washington burn treatment center with non-life-threatening injuries and were in serious condition.
Three students and the teacher were transported to a hospital with minor injuries. All the victims suffered chemical burns, Bowers told a televised news conference.
Live news reports showed students streaming from the school and assembling near a football stadium.
A hazardous materials team went to the site. Bowers said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
(Reporting by John Clarke; Editing by Bill Trott and Matthew Lewis)
