CHENNAI: Two girls studying at Victory Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai’s Tiruvottiyur were hospitalised after a suspected chemical gas leak on Friday. The source of the leak was yet to be identified, officials said.
Around 30 students fainted after a strong chemical odour filled the campus. Around 40 students, who complained of eye irritation, were taken to Tiruvottiyur Govt Hospital.
The incident caused alarm among parents, who rushed to the school to take their children home.
Two girl students, unresponsive to initial first aid, were taken to the Stanley Medical College Hospital. The girls, studying in classes X and VIII, were gasping and had increased palpitations when they were brought to hospital, said a duty doctor.
“We performed basic tests including X-rays, CT scans, lung function tests and blood work, all of which returned normal,” said the doctor. The students were stabilised and were moved to a ward for observation until Saturday morning.
School education department director S Kannapan said they were trying to identify the source of the leak. They were examining whether the leak originated from the school’s chemistry lab or from nearby industrial plants or any other source.
Director of private schools Palaniswamy A said chief education officers and district education officers were instructed to inspect the campus to identify the origin of the leak.