Suspected Gas Leak at Chennai School Leaves 30 Students Hospitalised

A few students of a matriculation higher secondary school, Tiruvottiyur, Chennai, became ill due to a suspected chemical leak on the premises, and at least three of them were admitted to a hospital, police said on Friday.

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team deployed to ascertain the cause of the incident, said the exact cause was not known.

Preliminary inquiries by the police revealed that no gas emanated from the school lab.

Some students complained of difficulty in breathing and eye irritation while others felt a sudden nausea, triggering panic in the school.

"Some of us had to rush out of the classroom to get fresh air. Even our teachers had experienced difficulty in breathing. A few students even fainted and our teachers revived them," a student later said, and added that she felt nausea.

As many students complained of uneasiness, the management had to call ambulances and rushed the pupils to hospital. Parents who turned up at the school, too, admitted their children to a government hospital where many were treated as outpatients. Police said it was not clear if the leak occurred from the school or emanated from the vicinity where a chemical factory was situated. The condition of three students admitted to the Stanley Government Medical College Hospital here was said to be stable, police said and added that nearly 30 students complained of uneasiness and throat irritation.

"Our team assessed the chemistry lab and checked the air-conditioner unit, too, we did not smell any gas or leakage from the AC unit. We cannot tell the exact cause of the gas leak. We are yet to ascertain it," NDRF Commander A K Chauhan, told reporters later.

State government officials too visited the school to enquire about the cause of the suspected chemical gas leak.