At least three students and a teacher at a Virginia high school required hospitalization Wednesday after an incident in a chemistry classroom that local media described as an "explosion."
A group of students from Dinwiddie High School in Dinwiddie County was evacuated after the incident during a classroom experiment, school officials said.
School officials told local television station WTVR, a CBS affiliate in Virginia, that an "explosion" and fire broke out in the classroom.
Three students and a teacher remained hospitalized as of this afternoon and details about their health are not known.
Students leave the high school in Dinwiddie, Virginia, and an ambulance pulls up outside the school gate. NBC 12
“Three students were treated and transported to VCU Medical Center.
Another student was treated and released at the scene," according to a joint statement from the school, sheriff and fire officials.
“A teacher was transported to a local hospital.
The conditions of the remaining students and the teacher will not be released at this time.”
The incident, the cause of which is under investigation, occurred on Wednesday morning.
The school said on Facebook that "the fire alarm was activated and all students were immediately evacuated out of the building to designated safe areas."
Authorities were called to the school at 9:23 am after "a demonstration" was taking place in the Chemistry room and after activating the fire alarm, the school explained.
An ambulance plane arrives at Dinwiddie High SchoolNBC 12
The director of the center, Robbie Garnes, did not answer questions from the media about the state of health of the hospitalized students and teacher.
"Unfortunately, we are unable to disclose any additional information," he told local media.
Alonna Perkins, a student who was at the school during the incident, told the local NBC News affiliate in Virginia that she was in a nearby classroom when she heard a loud noise.
[Authorities investigate if Northeastern University explosion was staged]
“It sounded like someone went through the wall, like a very big fight,” he said.
"The fire alarm went off and that's when we knew something had happened with fire."
Emily Dougherty and her twin sister, Kiley, were inside a second-floor classroom when the fire broke out.
Kindergarten employees fired for scaring children with Halloween masks
Oct. 12, 202200:32
"When I went to get my things for my mother to pick me up, I could smell the chemicals coming from the vents," the student told the local NBC affiliate.
High school students will study remotely on Thursday and return to class on Friday.
