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GAS escaping from a routine work on tanks at Fairfax’s North Richmond print site led to the whole of Colo High being evacuated on Friday morning. NSW Ambulance said students were still being assessed at 11am. A spokeswoman said they received the call at 8.50am Friday morning with reports of a gas leak. NSW Education said students were evacuated to the oval, while firefighters worked to find the cause of the gas smell. Five ambulances attended, and 20 students were treated by ambulance paramedics after reporting being affected by fumes but were found to be OK. The Gazette was told a number of students were collected by their parents and taken home. Hawkesbury Fire Control’s Superintendent Karen Hodges said they received the call at 8.30am that there was a gas leak at the school . “The school self evacuated but when everybody arrived there was no gas leak,” she said. She said they sent one truck from Kurrajong brigade, and police and Fire & Rescue also attended. A Fairfax spokesperson said it’s been determined there was no health or safety risk from the gas vapour. “It was released as part of routine maintenance to our gas tanks performed by a third-party contractor this morning,” the spokesperson said. “We thank the authorities for their prompt response and we apologise to our neighbours for the unintended disruption. An appropriate abundance of caution was exercised by the school. The matter is now resolved.” Supt Hodges said the gas company had learnt from the event and said it would notify neighbours next time such work was carried out. NSW Education confirmed students went back to classes around 11am.

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