A Delta flight injured more than 50 people on Tuesday after dumping fuel on a Los Angeles schoolyard and school buildings when it declared an emergency shortly after departing for China from the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, at least 20 children were treated for minor injuries after being exposed to the jet fuel. The department said it had a total of 44 patients from four schools: Park Avenue Elementary, Tweedy Elementary, Graham Elementary and San Gabriel Avenue Elementary.

Another 16 people were treated from two schools, Jordan High School and 93rd Elementary, which were also exposed to jet fuel, the Los Angeles City Fire Department said.
No one was transported from the schools to hospitals, and there were no evacuation orders in place.

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The Los Angeles Unified School District also confirmed that students and staff were being treated for skin irritation or breathing problems after being exposed to the fuel, adding:

“Students and staff were on the playground at the time and may have been sprayed by fuel or inhaled fumes.”

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Delta Airlines confirmed in a statement that Delta Flight 89 to Shanghai experienced an engine issue that required it to return to LAX shortly after takeoff, saying:

“The aircraft landed safely after an emergency fuel release to reduce landing weight.”

Delta did not comment on where exactly the fuel was dumped, and the Federal Aviation Administration said it was looking into the reports that school children were being treated for fuel exposure.

According to the FAA, there are special fuel-dumping procedures for any aircraft operating from any major U.S. airport:

“These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas, typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before it reaches the ground.”

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