Firefighters search NAIA for gas leak

MANILA, Philippines - Pasay City firefighters scoured the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and surrounding areas yesterday for a gas or chemical leak that may account for the foul smell that prompted a public high school to suspend classes for two days in a row.

“We are using gas and chemical detectors to trace the possible source of the foul odor,” city fire marshal Chief Inspector Douglas Guiab said.

Kalayaan National High School employee Marilou Bacardo told The STAR the fumes caused dizziness and eye irritation but no serious illnesses among the school’s 3,000 students. The stench was so strong the school suspended classes Monday. Classes were suspended again yesterday, but the smell was not as strong, Bacardo said.

“It’s not only the school, the whole Merville community is affected,” she said.