Hazmat Incident At Massachusetts School Leaves 1 Dead And Others Hospitalized

A custodian worker at a Massachusetts elementary school is dead after a hazmat situation was reported inside the school on Monday.

Authorities arrived at the Manomet Elementary School in Plymouth on Monday morning in response to an emergency involving hazardous material, according to the Boston Globe. The custodian worker's body was found inside the school, however officials cannot confirm if his death is related to the incident.

Ten other people, including nine public safety officials and one staff member, were also rushed to the hospital, according to CBS Boston. Most received treatment for minor eye and throat irritation and were later released.

One EMT worker was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, a friend of the worker told the station.

The victim was identified Monday afternoon as 53-year-old Chester Flattery, a father of two from Plymouth who worked at the school for nearly 7 years, according to the Boston Globe.

Flattery's wife said her husband seemed fine when he left for work Monday morning.

"He came to work like on any other day," she told the Boston Globe. The couple celebrated their 25th anniversary in May.

Kindergarten teacher Megan Hokanson told the newspaper Flattery was "wonderful, a very much 'give you the shirt off his back kind of guy.' "

"This is devastating," Hokanson said.

The cause of the hazmat situation is still under investigation. Officials are considering if work being done at the school is connected to the incident, WCVB-TV reported.

But the Fire Marshal's office is not sure if Flattery's death is related to the incident because "levels of chemicals in the building were very low," CBS Boston reported. An autopsy is to be performed to determine the manner of death.

More information is expected to be released Monday evening.