CHENNAI: Two girls study at Victory Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai’s Tiruvottiyur was hospitalized after a suspected chemical gas leak on Friday. The source of the leak was not yet identified, officials said.
Around 30 students passed out after a strong chemical smell filled the campus. About 40 students, who complained of eye irritation, were taken to Tiruvottiyur Govt Hospital.
The incident raised concerns among parents who rushed to the school to take their children home.
Two female students, who did not respond to first aid, were taken to Stanley Medical College Hospital. The girls, who studied in classes X and VIII, were panting and had increased heart palpitations when they were taken to hospital, an on-duty doctor said.
“We performed basic tests including X-rays, CT scans, lung function tests and blood tests, all of which came back normal,” the doctor said. The students were stabilized and moved to a ward for observation until Saturday morning.
Head of School Education Department S Kannapan said they were trying to identify the source of the leak. They investigated whether the leak originated from the school’s chemistry lab or from nearby industrial facilities or some other source.
Director of Private Schools Palaniswamy A said that Education Officers and District Education Officers were instructed to inspect the campus to identify the origin of the leak.