A smoke bomb was set off inside a school bus taking children to school Tuesday morning, and 11 students were taken to the hospital to be treated for breathing problems, officials said.
More than 40 students were on the bus heading to the Brooklyn Dreams Charter School when the device went off near Ocean Avenue and Dorchester Road.
Amari Bhola, an 11-year-old boy who was inside, told NBC 4 New York that green smoke filled the bus, starting in the back and then billowing toward the front.
He said children were screaming "who did this, why would you do this?"
"People kept saying they couldn't breathe that well," the sixth-grader added.
He said the driver pulled over to investigate and open the windows.
The children who were taken to the hospital complained of asthma, teary eyes and shortness of breath, according to Dario Gonzalez, associate medical director for the fire department. They were all expected to be fine and were sent to the hospital for evaluation as a precaution.
Five other children were treated at the scene.
Local
--Jen Maxfield contributed to this story
