Emergency services are at an Ashburton primary school after being told children were feeling unwell, with a “low reading” of a chemical discovered, Fire and Emergency says.

Some people from St Joseph’s School in the Mid Canterbury town were now being taken to hospital, but it’s not yet known how many or their ages, Fire and Emergency Southern Communications’ shift manager Blair Walklin said.

A person who answered the phone at St Joseph’s told the Herald the school’s principal wasn’t immediately available to speak as she was “busy with parents and the fire people”.

Hato Hone St John Ambulance said it had two ambulances and an operations manager on scene at the Ashburton school, with more units on the way.

More information would be provided when available, a spokesperson said.

The alarm was raised just before 10am, Walklin said.

Three appliances were sent from Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade, as well as the Timaru fire hazmat team, but firefighters would soon be leaving the scene, he said.

Police said they were notified at around 10.20am and that Fire and Emergency New Zealand has taken over as the lead agency.

More to come