Chennai: 30 students hospitalized due to gas leak at school, 3 seriously injured

On Friday, PTI reported that a suspected gas leak caused panic at a school in Chennai’s Thiruvottiyur area. Students were evacuated and 30 girls were taken to hospital, three of whom are in critical condition.

“Some of us had to run out of the classroom to get some fresh air,” one student shared. “Even our teachers had trouble breathing, and some students fainted before teachers revived them.”

According to PTI, some students felt nauseous and even vomited in classes, although none had serious symptoms.

The student’s mother told ANI, “My daughter had breathing problems and vomiting two days ago and the same thing happened again yesterday. Today she felt dizzy and vomited, but the teachers told her not to pretend to be sick. The school didn’t inform us; we found her discharged to a government hospital. Later, we shifted her to a private hospital and she is under observation. The school has not yet provided us with any updated information.

After the incident, firefighters were called and helped with the rescue operation.

Initial investigation suggests that a chemical leak from the school’s laboratory may have caused student discomfort. Some reports also indicate that fumes from a nearby chemical plant may have contributed to the breathing problems. Authorities are currently investigating the source of the gas leak.

NDRF commander AK Chauhan said, “I cannot confirm the exact cause yet. Our team has assessed the situation and everything appears normal; “We didn’t detect any gas.”