The Associated Press

COLD SPRING, Minn. — A chlorine gas leak in the pool area of a high school Wednesday injured at least 37 students and one adult, authorities said.

Several students at Rocori High School were hospitalized, but the severity of their injuries was not immediately clear, said Stearns County Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold. Most of the injuries appeared to respiratory, he said.

Rocori was the site of a 2003 shooting that killed two boys.

The leak was discovered before 2 p.m., and the building was evacuated, Bechtold said. The leak was contained within an hour, he said.

Nineteen students were in gym class when they saw bubbles coming out of the pool drain, Superintendent Scott Staska told WJON-AM. The students began feeling sick shortly afterward.

St. Cloud Hospital set up a decontamination tent outside the emergency room for incoming patients, spokeswoman Chris Nelson said.

Chlorine gas can damage the eyes, skin, throat or lungs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long-term health problems are unlikely.

Staska was at the high school and did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press.

Rocori High was the site of a deadly shooting 4 1/2 years ago. John Jason McLaughlin was 15 when he took a gun to school on Sept. 24, 2003. He is serving a life sentence for killing Aaron Rollins, 17, and Seth Bartell, 14.