7 people sickened by fumes at Boston school

Entrance to hospital emergency department at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The sign is red with the word EMERGENCY prominently displayed. It can be used to illustrate various healthcare, medical and emergency concepts, from afflictions such as stroke or heart attack, diseases such as HIV or cancer, and accidents such as road trauma or sporting injury. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

BOSTON – Seven people including one child were taken to a hospital after a phone charger emitted fumes at a Boston school for children with special needs.

A spokesman for the fire department says a student’s phone charger overheated and started sparking at about 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Manville School.

A staff member took the device to a bathroom and doused it with water, and it emitted a vapor that made people feel sick and light-headed. Those affected are expected to be OK.

A hazardous materials team checked the air quality to ensure the school was safe, and evacuations were not necessary.