Paramedics treated 17 schoolchildren and nine adults for exposure to jet fuel that was dumped on them Tuesday afternoon, January 14, 2020. Authorities confirmed the substance was jet fuel from a plane flying into Los Angeles International (LAX) airport.

Witnesses saw a plane dumping fuel over the playground at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, east of LAX. Students, teachers and school staff who were outside at the time suffered skin and eye irritation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that Delta Air Lines Flight 89 had departed from LAX, and then declared an emergency. The Delta plane then returned to the airport and landed “without incident.” Neither Delta nor the FAA have confirmed that this is the plane that dumped fuel on the schoolchildren. However, there are multiple videos of the plane dumping fuel that indicate it was this Delta flight.

Jet airplanes often dump fuel prior to landing to reduce the weight of the craft; however, because this flight was returning just after taking off, the volume of fuel was significantly greater than normal.

At this time, only minor injuries have been reported. However, exposure to jet fuel can cause neurologic difficulties, including headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, and irritability. It can also cause long-term problems with attention, memory, coordination, and psychomotor skills.

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