Local News
Mass Casualty Incident Declared at Scarborough’s Wentworth School Following Suspected Gas Leak
SCARBOROUGH, Maine – A mass casualty incident (MCI) has been declared at Wentworth School in Scarborough after multiple students began experiencing respiratory distress and abdominal pain, reportedly due to a suspected gas leak.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the school following reports that at least nine children had lost consciousness.
Additional students are also experiencing symptoms consistent with gas exposure.
Incident command has requested Portland Regional Communications Center (RCC) to officially declare an MCI and has called for an additional 10 ambulances to assist in transporting affected individuals to local medical facilities.
Authorities, including fire, police, emergency medical services (EMS), and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams, are actively working to identify the source of the gas leak and ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Parents and guardians are urged to await further updates from school and emergency officials and to avoid the area to allow first responders to manage the situation effectively.
Further details regarding the cause of the incident and the condition of those affected will be released as the investigation progresses.
Emergency crews in Bethesda, Montgomery County, responded to a serious trench collapse Tuesday at a work site in the 8100 block of Kentbury Drive, where two workers became trapped in a deep excavation.
According to initial reports, the incident involved a 10 to 12-foot-deep trench that collapsed while the workers were inside.
One victim was reported to be buried up to the waist, while the second victim was buried up to the head, creating an urgent and dangerous situation for responders.
Specialized rescue teams from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service were dispatched to the scene and initiated a technical trench rescue operation.
These types of incidents require careful stabilization of the surrounding soil and trench walls to prevent additional collapse while rescuers work to safely reach and extract the trapped individuals.
Emergency personnel secured the area and began implementing protective measures, including shoring the trench to stabilize the excavation site before attempting to free the victims.
The condition of the trapped workers has not yet been released.
Rescue operations were ongoing as crews worked methodically to remove soil and safely extricate the victims.
Officials are expected to provide further updates as the rescue effort continues and investigators determine what led to the collapse.