The Los Angeles County Fire Department said they are treating 17 children and nine adults for minor injuries after an “apparent fuel dump” by an aircraft near two elementary schools.
Fire officials said they were called to an area close to Cudahy and South Los Angeles elementary schools late Tuesday afternoon after reports came in for the smell of jet fuel.
They said 70 firefighters and paramedics were on scene assessing multiple patients, adding that there were no transports to local hospital from the schools.
In a tweet, firefighters said an aircraft on its final approach to L.A. dumped the jet fuel to lighten the plane’s load.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that Delta Air Lines Flight 89 headed to Shanghai, China, declared an emergency after leaving Los Angeles International Airport, returned and landed without incident.
Delta Air Lines said in a statement that shortly after takeoff, Flight 89 “experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return to LAX. The aircraft landed safely after an emergency fuel release to reduce landing weight.”
The flight tracking website FlightAware shows that Delta Air Lines Flight 89 to Shanghai, China, departed LAX, circled back over Southern California and returned to the airport.
The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement that the incident happened at Park Avenue Elementary just before noon.
“Students and staff were on the playground at the time and may have been sprayed by fuel or inhaled fumes,” the district said.
Paramedics were immediately called to treat anyone complaining of “skin irritation or breathing problems,” it said.
The fire department said there were no evacuation orders for the immediate area.
— With files from The Associated Press.